Here is the data on Google Maps from the presentation at the General Meeting (PDF). In general, Red describes "bad" or unhealthy levels, Yellow is "Medium" and Green is "good" or healthy levels. Notice that the headwaters are much healthier than Church Creek, for example. The headwaters are fairly undeveloped (and must be preserved!) while Church Creek gets runoff from the shopping centers on Route 2 - Festival, Harbor Center, Parole and Value City.
Link to 2007 Data in excel Spreadsheet
see pictures from this year's Snapshot
see last year's results
(The following was written by Federation Vice President and Snapshot coordinator, Chris Trumbauer, and published in the Capital on May 12, 2007):
Volunteers Take "Snapshot" of South River's Health
On April 28, 75 volunteers embarked on a mission to test 48 sites simultaneously in and around the South River.
Sample sites ranged from the mouth of the river at Thomas Point Park to various small streams at the river's headwaters. At each site, volunteers performed several tests on the water and completed a visual assessment of the area. Because all of the sampling was done at the same time, the information can be presented as a "snapshot" of the river's health in that moment in time.
This was the third annual Snapshot conducted by the South River Federation, and this year, federation volunteers were also joined by volunteers from West/Rhode Riverkeeper Program and Advocates for Herring Bay.
A one-hour training session prepared the volunteers; no prior experience was necessary. In fact, volunteers' experience levels varied from Jennie Gunderson, an Environmental Protection Agency chemist, to 21/2-year-old Dylan Liedy, who showed up at the drop-off location with no pants on. (He had soaked them jumping into the stream after his mom had collected the sample.)
The great volunteer turnout is a testament to the citizens of Anne Arundel County, who once again proved that water quality is important to them. Preliminary results from the Snapshot indicate that they have reason to be concerned.
Each sample collected was tested for Enterococcus, a bacteria used as the federal standard for water quality at public beaches. Disturbingly, more than half the samples collected did not meet the EPA safe swimming limit. This is not uncommon after a rainfall of half an inch, the amount that fell the day before the Snapshot.
Most of the high bacteria levels were found in creeks heavily affected by urban and suburban development. All four testing sites in Church Creek, which has one of the highest levels of impervious surface (parking lots, rooftops, and any other surface that rain water cannot penetrate) in the South River watershed, were above the EPA limit. The highest level recorded in the Snapshot, over 50 times the EPA limit, was on a branch of Church Creek.
Not all of the news was bad. Even though many of the creeks and streams had high bacteria counts, all of the samples from common swimming areas in the river were within the safe swimming threshold. Also noteworthy was that thetributaries in the largely forested northwest corner of the watershed (Bacon Ridge Branch, North River, Flat Creek, Bell Branch, and Tarnans Branch) were all virtually free of Enterococcus bacteria.
In addition to collecting water samples, volunteers recorded a visual assessment of their sampling site. This information is useful for the identification of sites that may need restoration or pristine sites that should be preserved.
Volunteers also recorded high pH levels in much of the river, which indicates that an algae bloom may be occurring. Nutrient samples were also collected, and are currently being analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorus, two nutrients that are harmful to waterways when they are at high levels.
>>>The complete results of the 2007 Snapshot will be presented at the South River Federation General Meeting, "South River, Now and Then" to be held at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Philip Merrill Environmental Center, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis at 7 p.m. on June 12.
The meeting will then shift to impressions of the river in the ‘60s and ‘70s from a panel of members who lived and experienced a different river- one in the not-too-distant past - one that we hope to restore.
Join us for an enlightening evening of South River science and anecdote. RSVP to Cindy at cindy@southriverfederation.net or call 443-482-2155.
At the meeting, you will also be able to find out what you can do to help South River, and learn about other upcoming volunteer activities.
Chris Trumbauer works for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and volunteers as vice president of South River Federation.
