Federation Blog

This week's bottom dissolved oxygen measurements indicate the expanding hypoxic zone from mid-river up to the Rt 50 bridge.  Many of the tidal creek are also experiencing hypoxic conditions (2.0 mg/l or lower).  This is due to the excessive nutrients causing the algae blooms, which then cause the low dissolved oxygen.  Blue Crabs need above 3mg/l of dissolved oxygen to live, therefore at the moment the South River is not that hospitable for the blue crab. ---Diana

The South River Federation's Riverkeeper Tidal Water Quality montoring is in mid-season currently.  Some of you may have see us out there sampling the water quality.  I have been ask many questions about when and where we sample.  I have provided a GIS map of our current tidal stations.  I have 7 main stem stations, then 14 stations in each of the tidal creeks.  

This past Saturday, over 40 volunteers helped to plant the Hillsmere Bioretention and Sand Seepage Wetland project at the corner of Great Lake Dr and Phipps Ln in Hillsmere.  It was a gorgeous day to get out and plant project that was several months in the making.  Below are before and after photos of the portion of the project that was converted from a dry "detention" basin to a regenerative stormwater conveyance.

Thanks so much to our volunteers and our funders for the project: the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Unity Gardens, the Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy, and the Hillsmere Shores Improvement Association.

 

EPA Unveils Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy

 The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy is now out as presented by Lisa Jackson (EPA administrator) yesterday.  She stated that only thing needed is money and resources.

I would like to include Three more things:

1)  The absolute old fashion American CAN DO.  With out the can do/will do we will not have anything.

2 ) Much better enforcement,  marinas have put large piers/bulkhead/and pilings into the South River and have only received a 43,000.00 fine, and they did not have to take out the structures that were installed.  So, in reality the company folded the fine into the cost of doing the construction.  The State and Federal agencies need to not only have greater fines but mandate that these structures be removed! 

3)  I would also like to include more education on the true causes of the destruction of the Chesapeake Bay and the South River.  I speak beyond the choir quite often and have learned that most adults really do not know what stormwater runoff it,  they do not know how fertilizer can harm the Bay/River,  they do not realize how poor the infrastructure of our septic and sewer systems is.  I see very well educated folks over-fertilize their lawns in order to get the Crayola crayon green color, instead of managing their lawns in a River-friendly way.

http://wjz.com/local/Bay.foundation.epa.2.1689773.html

 

Just last week the contractor broke ground for a sizable bioretention and sand seepage wetland project in the Hillsmere community that will help treat runoff before it gets into Lake Hillsmere.  The project is funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Unity Gardens, the Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy, and the South River Federation.

 One of the first steps in constructing a bioretention project or rain garden is to over-excavate the site in preparation for a well-draining medium of sand, wood chips, and compost.  

 Once the basin has been excavated, it is backfilled with the planting/rain garden mix.  Below, we were able to work within the footprint of an existing dry detention area and convert it into a seepage wetland with relatively little earth moving.

 This project will be planted on May 15th.  If you'd like to help, please contact the Federation office at 410-224-3802 to RSVP.

 Yesterday was a great day to be outside.  A term known as phenology is a basic way for identifying what our environment is telling us. Wikipedia states that: Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate.  I was taught this at a very early age by my father that used to say: "Be very quiet while observing and nature will tell you what is going on".  Yesterday was one of those days.

Early in the morning a ground hog was eating clover next to our office.  Later in the day I went on field assessment call near Duvall Creek to find 3 Brown Water Snakes, and macro algae growing on the shores of the River.  This species of algea is Entrermorpha flexuosa, it is not considered one of our good Submerged Aquatic Vegetation.

Happy Earth Day---Diana