The Severn Riverkeeper Program

When the going gets tough...
It was HOT out on the Severn this week doing water quality monitoring ahead of this storm!

We got several six-packs this week! What a great way to start the New Year with good friends and a great local beer!

Thanks ABC!
Cheers!

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER...This Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) bedecks the stream bank in our ongoing Jabez Reach 3 Stream restoration in the Severn's headwaters. This cheery and delicate vine holds the promise of summer blooms and reminds us that this perennial native can be found in our forests and bottomlands and other wet habitats

 

We toured the eroded Jabez 3 with the neighbors of the Stream Restoration and explained the final plans. They are looking forward to a positive change!

This project is a partnership with the Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Stay tuned!

We are your restoration “boots on the ground”. Or rather, boots in the mud 🥾

We celebrated the one-year completion date of the Belvoir Farm Pond Stream and Wetland Complex construction by installing our 4 new interpretive signs that provide project information, project need, and project features such as coarse woody material and how RSCs function. Now when folks visit the project site, the walking trail that winds around the wetland will showcase the signs spread out at different points along the path. Interested in seeing the project? Contact us and we would be happy to arrange a tour.

"This is the first time any administration has acted to protect the headwaters of the Severn. The health of the headwaters determines the health of the entire river." -Fred Kelly

Restoration of Severn River begins; it’s time to scrutinize government regulations | READER COMMENTARY Letters to the editor of The Capital.

Two stream restoration projects launched to reduce pollution of Severn River headwaters Two similar projects to restore part of a stream contributing considerable pollution to the Severn River headwaters began last week.

Check out the article on the front page of The Capital Gazette about our newest restoration project beginning in December!

“This project will determine the fate of the Severn River. Whether it’s going to be a healthy body of water or not,” Kelly said, adding, if this work is successful, “the yellow perch will come back, spawn like crazy, the stripers will come back that have been spawning up there ... and the oysters that everyone is excited about that we’re putting in the Severn won’t get covered with sediment and killed like they have for decades.”

Two stream restoration projects launched to reduce pollution of Severn River headwaters Two similar projects to restore part of a stream contributing considerable pollution to the Severn River headwaters began last week.

Over the bay bridge and through the woods to the magical place we get to call home ✨ the Severn River watershed contains 69 square miles of land and the river is 14 miles long.

"Centuries of agriculture caused sediment to settle downstream, then as the surrounding land was paved and built on, water rushed off those hard surfaces and into streams so fast it cut into the banks, said Fred Kelly, Executive Director of the Severn Riverkeeper Program. “It is a completely broken system. The banks are eroding, the wetlands are drying out, the ecosystem is dying.”

County, DNR and Severn Riverkeeper Working to Restore Jabez Branch Photo depicts the stream system as an illustration of what this project seeks to address. (Photo Credit: Sarah Caldes, Severn Riverkeeper) Anne Arundel County Executive Pittman recently announced a…

When the SAV mats are so thick you can walk on water…

Nothing signals the arrival of autumn like goldenrod 🍂At Kyle Point dynamic living shoreline the goldenrod is blooming and the shoreline is un-phased by tropical storms and rough seas that can come with autumn weather 🌊

Happy National Estuaries Week! The Severn River is one small part of the great Chesapeake Bay estuary, and we take pride in our tiny, yet consequential role in restoring the Bay.

Bladderwort (Utricularia inflata) planted and thriving at Belvoir! Bladderwort is a carnivorous SAV found in sluggish streams, ponds, lakes, and bogs that uses tiny bladders to capture aquatic organisms that provide the plant with an essential source of nutrients. Unassuming mosquito larvae, minute crustaceans, or zooplankton wander by and trigger tiny hairs surrounding the bladder opening to send a signal for the bladder to inflate rapidly and suck in water and the unlucky prey. A trap door is quickly closed and dinner is served as enzymes break down the victim.

River Daze 🌞 We collect water quality data for dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and turbidity at sites throughout the Severn River from the headwaters to the 50 bridge. We set the anchor and settle in to record data at each meter of the water column- from a bottom reading up to a surface reading.

Where are you going to watch the super blue moon rise tonight? Whether it is in front of a bonfire, on a canoe on the Severn, or from your bedroom window, don’t miss this unique opportunity since this is the last super blue moon until 2037! Moonrise in Annapolis is at 7:52pm and over the eastern horizon 🌝

The excitement is building! On Sept 28th, we'll be at Patagonia Baltimore for our In Defense of Water Awards & Reception where we'll celebrate our clean water successes and honor our Waterkeepers, partners, and community members for their outstanding achievements in advancing water and climate justice. It's our 10th anniversary and we want you to share in the celebration! Early bird ticket price ends Friday, Sept 1. => https://waterkeeperschesapeake.org/indefenseofwater2023/

P.S. Patagonia is offering an awesome raffle item you won't want to miss!

Clays of the Severn. This series displays the exposed clay layer in Jabez Branch III, which has been revealed due to erosion of sand, soil, and sediment. Beautiful? Yes. A marker of a healthy stream ecosystem? No.

We stopped by the Belvoir Farm Pond RSC retrofit to assess the site after heavy rains from summer thunderstorms. We were thrilled (but not surprised) to see this nature-based solution thriving. This project isn’t even a year old yet, but is handling storms like a veteran! Bonus* it will only get stronger with age

If the Lorax were a caterpillar… we found this banded tussock moth caterpillar in the woods of the Severn Run Natural Area 🐛

It is not natural for the floodplain to be a couple feet above a grown man's head as he walks along the stream bed! Jabez Branch III is eroding rapidly and transporting loads of sediment downstream into the Severn River. Our restoration project on this section of Jabez will halt this stream from further unraveling out of control and restore it to a thriving wetland ecosystem.

Check out our most recent newsletter that answers the question of "Is the Severn naturally murky?" It also provides great photos of our International Bog Day event!

Severn Riverkeeper: Is the Severn naturally murky? A donation to the Severn Riverkeeper Program adds your voice to friends of Maryland’s Capital River who are committed to leaving a living legacy, a clean and healthy Severn River. The Severn Riverkeeper is the most effective advocate for the river.

Our native bog plants display table showing off unique bog species at International Bog Day 🪷 The carnivorous pitcher plants and sundews were definitely the campers’ favorites! What’s not to love about a plant that has adapted to eat insects?

I love bogs! Say it loud, say it proud, and stick a sticker on your forehead declaring it! Be sure to look through the photo gallery that the Capital posted about our International Bog Day event.
https://www.capitalgazette.com/photos/ac-cn-international-bog-day-20230721-gq6pvngdpvb6pahw2xefkd3xfi-photogallery.html

International Bog Day Celebration | PHOTOS The Children of Sherwood Forest & The Downs on the Severn in collaboration with the Severn River Association, Severn Riverkeeper, Center for Ecosystem Recovery, and Underwood & Associates took part in an International Bog Day Celebration at Hidden Pond, Friday, July 21, 2023.

Thank you to all who celebrated International Bog Day with us today at Hidden Pond Restoration! We planted natives, learned about carnivorous bog plants, collected Atlantic white cedar seeds, and had FUN!

We've gone international! Join us as we celebrate International Bog Day at Hidden Pond Restoration one week from today- on Friday, July 21st. You can find more details via the link below. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate the importance of bogs around the world!

Events – International Volunteer planting event, Annapolis, Maryland, USA Hidden Pond Restoration Poster, Friday 21st JulyDownload Owenduff Bog Hike, Wild Nephin National Park, County Mayo, Ireland This walk is strenuous…