By E.B. FURGURSON III, Staff Writer - published in The Capital June 17, 2007
Volunteers who plucked water samples and from nearly 50 sites along the South River a few weeks back have learned results: The river and its tributaries are in trouble.
Bacteria, nutrients, PH, and other criteria measured in a two-hour period on April 28 showed the same problem areas as last year's snapshot.
"Once again the results underscore the fact that everything we do on the land has an effect on water quality," South Riverkeeper Drew Koslow said.
But there were a few bright spots in the third annual testing blitz organized by the South River Federation.
First among them is the northern-most reaches of the 66-square-mile South River watershed. There, along North River and Bacon Ridge Branch, testers found some of the best numbers in the overall survey.
"We have to preserve the upper reaches of the river," South River Federation board member Chris Trumbauer said.
The county obtained and committed to preserve some 500 acres in the area recently, and the South River Feder-
-ation is pushing for more conservation areas to be set aside.
The major problems in the river were caused by what is becoming a common culprit - areas of urban and suburban development rife with impervious surfaces such as rooftops, parking lots, roads and driveways.
"As more development occurs rain rushes off these surfaces, carrying nutrients, bacteria and other pollutants," Mr. Trumbauer, a Department of Natural Resources biologist, said.
Pockets of poor readings for pollutants seem to match areas where development encroaches, like Church and Warehouse creeks on opposite banks of the river near the South River Bridge.
Both areas are highly developed.
Experts say once a watershed is more than 15 percent impervious, environmental degradation increases quickly.
Church Creek's watershed, home to the Harbour Center, Festival at Riva and the sprouting Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole multi-use development, has a whopping 42 percent covered in asphalt and other hard surfaces.
Bacteria counts, mostly related to animal and human wastes, were relatively low overall except for a few pockets that were off the charts.
Bacterial problems in area waters are so pronounced after it rains that the county health department posts the following warning on its Web site.
"After rainfall, all Anne Arundel County beaches are under a no swimming/no direct water contact warning for 48 hours due to high bacteria levels from rainwater runoff and increased health risks."
The health department posts results from its Recreational Water Quality Monitoring Program on its Web site. The South River Federation posts its own results on its site too.
Some of the testing, done by nearly 75 trained volunteers who fanned out across the watershed, indicated an algae bloom in the middle part of the river.
The data related to the bloom collected by the volunteers, primarily PH readings, matched information gathered by the DNR in the same area, validating the volunteer effort.
Mr. Koslow said there are little things people can do to help the overall health of the river.
"There are close to 60,000 people in the watershed and little efforts can have big impact," he said. "People can be sure to clean up after their pets, wash their cars on grass rather than in the driveway, and fertilize their lawns less," he said.
He announced the federation just received a $162,000 targeted watersheds grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust that will be used to do small projects like rain gardens and bio-retention in the watershed for Beards and Broad creeks.
Published 06/17/07, Copyright © 2007 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
