That was the verdict of the annual river scorecard issued Tuesday night by the nonprofit South River Federation.

"This is the same story every year and it's getting really depressing," said Diana Muller, the federation's riverkeeper.

Muller, interns and volunteers conduct an intense sampling regime on the river and its creeks each year. Factors considered include how much oxygen is in the water, how clear the water is, how many underwater grasses are growing and how often there are bacteria spikes that threaten swimmers.

The scorecard report is a sobering ritual repeated up and down the Chesapeake Bay this time of year.

Last month, the Magothy River Association ranked that river's health at 22 percent or "D-".

Muller said she shies away from giving letter grades on the river's health and noted she has some qualms with how other organizations determine grades.

Instead, she ranks on a 10-point scale, based on how often the indicator meets goals for clean water. Zeroes, ones and twos are common.

While a few of the river health indicators inched upward compared to last year, other indicators slipped. Overall, the river is a system out of balance, with too much pollution throwing things out of whack.

Pollution is worst in the upper reaches of the river, an indication that a major source is polluted stormwater runoff flushed down creeks into the river, Muller said.

"Overall, the river is deplorable, ghastly and shameful and we need to do something about it," Muller said.

Actually, that's three "somethings" - improve stormwater, septics and sewer.

Muller said modern stormwater control systems need to be put in and damaged streams need to be fixed. Septic systems need to be modernized or connected to the public sewer system. And though no sewage plants empty into the South River, the sewer system needs to be well-maintained, Muller said.

Erik Michelsen, the federation's executive director, assured audience members at a meeting at London Towne Community Hall that work is finally moving forward on those fronts.

He explained the new "pollution diet" being imposed by the federal government and how the state and county are crafting plans for complying. He warned, however, that it's going to be a costly set of tasks and fees or taxes might have to be established or raised.

The Maryland Department of the Environment estimated it will cost $10 billion between now and 2020 to meet the new limits in the pollution diet.

"Probably that number is a little low in the grand scheme of things," Michelsen said.

Copyright © Capital Gazette Communications, Inc., 2011.