SRA plants 9 Million oysters on Wade 2 sanctuary reef on July 14. Read the Article!

This newsletter is made possible in part thanks to the generous support of Diamond Sponsor: Maguire Marine

There's no question that the "dog days of summer" are in full swing on the Severn—hot days and strong storms are the order of the hour and have brought the usual downturns in water quality we see in mid-summer. With water temperature in the mid 80s, the river isn't a particularly refreshing place to swim and doing so after the torrential rains of the past week is a bad idea anyway. The Anne Arundel County Health Department has a standing advisory against swimming within 48 hours of a rainfall exceeding half an inch because of bacterial pollution. Monday night's storm delivered over two inches of rain to our area, with an additional 1/2" last night. So it probably still is a good idea to stay out of the water.

A big part of our bacteria pollution comes from our pets—with as much as 23 million bacteria in a single gram of dog waste. Almost 80% of Anne Arundel County residents live within 1000 feet of a stream, so it's easy to see how dog waste can make an impact on our local streams and rivers. While most people these days are diligent about picking up after their pet while they're out and about, sometimes dog owners can find themselves unequipped with a bag. I try to keep a spare folded in my wallet, but another helpful tool for communities is pet waste stations which provide dog walkers with bags if they get caught unprepared. If you could use a pet waste station for your community, find more information on how to get one here: Pet Waste Pollution Reduction. And don't forget to clean up in the yard as well—unlike our dogs, bacteria don't stay within the fenceline. We can all make a difference for the health of our river, our dogs, and ourselves by cleaning up after the pooch, all year round.

For the Severn,

Jesse Iliff

Excecutive Director

Jesse@severnriver.org

Do you have a group of kids who like being outdoors? SRA offers two types of outdoor classrooms to train the next generation—Floating Classroom on our boat, and the Forest Classroom at Severn Run. Both options are 3 hours and teach about the Severn River watershed and other environmental factors.

If you would like to schedule a date this summer please reach out to our Restoration Associate Mollie.

SRA is grateful and humbled to announce the award of three new grants from Chesapeake Bay Trust and the City of Annapolis!

Funding Flows In for Flood Relief in College Creek Headwaters

We’ve been awarded $77,985 to design a project that aims to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff in the College Creek subwatershed of the Severn River. With this grant, we will contract with Hanover Land Services to engineer a micro-bioretention cell (a combination of plants, gravel, and soil), and redesign a vegetated swale (a gently sloped area filled with plants). These will be located between Genessee Street and the J. Albert Adams Academy building, reducing flooding, filtering runoff, and improving water quality as a whole. These nature-based solutions will enhance the health of College Creek and support the broader restoration of Severn River.

$50K Secured for Fairwinds Stormwater Design—More to Come!

Severn River Association has also received $50,000 to begin designing the stormwater management portion of a restoration project at the Fairwinds on Severn Beach Club in Severna Park. This funding allows us to reduce untreated runoff that currently flows directly into the Severn River. We're still waiting to hear back about additional funding to engineer the living shoreline portion of this project, which will protect against erosion, restore habitat, and improve water quality.

Construction Grant Secured for Wardour Living Shoreline!

Even more great news! SRA has been awarded $178,000 to construct a 153-foot living shoreline in the Wardour community of Annapolis. This naturalistic project will replace a stone slope to protect against erosion and boat wake, treat runoff from over 6 acres of impervious surfaces, and significantly reduce pollution entering the Severn River. With permits in hand and a contractor selected, we’re ready to bring this project to life—improving water quality, boosting climate resilience, and protecting nearby oyster reefs.

Oysters Tested for Diseases

SRA receives clean bill of health for oysters



A report from Maryland Department of Natural Resources, commissioned by SRA, notes that oysters in our sanctuary reefs are in good health. Only 30% of oysters sampled showed any sign of Dermo disease and when present it was found in low intensity. No sign of MSX or SSO diseases were observed. Read the whole report here.

Looking for ways to help? Our weekly water quality monitoring has a spot for you! Help record data and enjoy a morning out on the water. Or fill out the interest form to be notified of other opportunities like stream clean ups or invasive species removal events.

Our important work is only possible due to the generous support of people like you. If you are a current donor - THANK YOU! We welcome your support any time of the year. If you are not yet a member, please consider joining the movement today. Any size donation makes you a member.

HELP RESTORE AND PROTECT THE SEVERN RIVER