It's almost June, so it must be Wade-In Season. This is the time of year when community groups from the Susquehanna to the St. Mary's host their wade-ins. It goes like this: they wade into the water, usually in white sneakers, to determine how far they can see their feet. From this test, they determine how clean, or dirty, the water is. After that, there will probably be a picnic, a concert, or some other family friendly activity. The Upper Eastern Shore Wade-In, scheduled for this Saturday, features the bluegrass band Bay Country Gentlemen.    

On its Web site, the Maryland Department of Natural resources describes the wade-ins thusly: "Whatever the day and whichever the watershed, all of these wade-ins can be described by the word 'fun.' "

The wade-ins were inspired by Bernie Fowler, a former state senator from Calvert County whose wife, Betty, still makes fried chicken for everyone who shows up to the Patuxent River Wade-In -- and some years, that can be hundreds of people. This year marks the 20th year that Fowler will put on his overalls and wade in at Broomes Island, which is usually the second Sunday in June.

Fowler has a huge place in the history of the bay movement. Nearly 30 years ago, when he was a Calvert County commissioner, Fowler led the three Southern Maryland counties in a lawsuit against the state and federal governments, charging that they were allowing too much untreated sewage from suburban counties into the Patuxent. With the help of University of Maryland scientists who risked their jobs to testify, the counties won, and the state agreed to reduce pollution flowing into the river. That agreement became the model for the interstate bay restoration effort.

A serious runner who is in his 80s and looks at least a decade younger, Fowler is an indefatigable environmentalist, and an optimist. But when I did a profile of him in 2004, he seemed tired of the many promises from politicians to clean up the Patuxent River. The Patuxent, like many other Maryland rivers, still struggles, its grasses nearly non-existent, its oysters scarce and its health teetering on the brink.   

Three years ago, Bernie was hoping that Gov. Ehrlich and company would come to the wade-in with a commitment to the river. When I talked to him a year later, I know he was disappointed that little had changed. Ehrlich's cleanup efforts were focused on the Corsica, a small river that gained notoriety because of a big sewage spill.

But if I know Bernie, he'll be out there in his sneakers on a warm Sunday this June, during the height of wade-in season, hoping against hope that this will be the year that the river will be saved. And nothing against DNR, but I don't think that's his idea of fun.