SRA Team making oyster cages for the upcoming growing season

This newsletter is made possible in part thanks to the generous support of Platinum Sponsor: HF Advisory Group

We have a lot going on with restoration, too much for this section of the newsletter, so this month I want to focus on two key things.

First, the geospatial analysis of Picture Spring Branch subwatershed is complete, yielding over 30 potential stormwater restoration projects and several thousand feet of streams to evaluate in the field later this month to determine feasibility. We estimate about half will ultimately be viable. This is the #3 priority subwatershed according to the Severn River Action Plan (SRAP) we published last year. Developing this action plan is possible due to a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Second, our Marylanders Grow Oysters (MGO) oyster restoration program is in full swing! Last week, with Oyster Recovery Partnership we delivered 90 bags of spat (baby oysters) to the Glen Oban marina and this week we will deliver over 500 more bags to the rest of our 300+ oyster growers. With an estimated 2,000 spat per bag, that could mean up to 1.1 million more oysters in the Severn by next June. A huge thank you to all our MGO growers, and to the volunteers - including Dan Bornstein - who helped us build about 100 cages, with financial support from a grant from Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. If you want to make an even bigger splash for our oyster restoration program, consider donating to our large-scale planting that happens in the summer.

Last, the grant writing season is upon me and I am excited for our prospects. We are working on numerous applications and I hope you’ll wish us luck as we seek to leverage our donor support into more resources for the Severn River.

Thanks Very Much!

For the Severn,

Ben Fertig, PhD

Restoration Manager

Ben@severnriver.org

Speaker Bio: A Baltimore native and longtime sailor, Bob lives with his wife Melinda on Turkey Point Island where they treasure looking across the water to Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. He has been leading tours aboard the lighthouse since the tours began in 2007.

Bob has served on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society as the Education Coordinator and public speaker, presenting lighthouse talks to groups of all ages.

Fun fact about Bob: Though not related, as far as he knows, he shares his name with one of the most significant lighthouse engineers in history, Scotland’s Robert Stevenson, grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the first of a dynasty that became known as “The Lighthouse Stevensons.”

The Lake Marion project is officially marked as complete with yesterday's ribbon cutting. The Severn River Association was delighted to partner with our colleagues at Arundel Rivers Federation to see this important project come to fruition. Restoring the headwaters of the Severn River is critical to ensuring long term improvements in water quality and aquatic habitat. This project does both. We are grateful for the sustained engagement of the Provinces community, Anne Arundel County, and the State of Maryland to secure the necessary funding for this incredible project.

Thank you to everyone who raced on Team SRA for this fun bike event. It was a perfect day to ride around the county and we are looking forward to next year. Start training now for next year—October 4, 2026!

Marylanders Grow Oysters

This week we delivered the spat-on-shell oysters to our Creek Captains for the 2025-2026 growing season. The Severn River has the largest Marylanders Grow Oysters (MGO) program in the state. Out of 2,000 bags of oysters being delivered to growers this year, 600 came to the Severn. That is all because of our 330 amazing volunteer oyster growers! If you would like to join the fun next year, use the button to fill out the interest form.

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