August Riverkeeper Report

Arundel Rivers Staff and DNR Partners process underwater grass in the SAV turbulator

Grasses, bacteria, and public access...

This summer, we completed our second season of SAV seed processing. Arundel Rivers processed three species this year with a total of just under 7 million seeds. This is more than 3x the amount of seed we processed last year! We also recorded our first growth of a new bed from the seed we planted with DNR last fall. Just over 4 acres of Sago Pondweed is currently growing in Glebe Bay! 

Our bacteria program will also come to an end just before Labor Day. We had a total of 30 sites this year. As I'm sure you all know, and as I said in the July Riverkeeper Report, it was a tough year for bacteria. Our average pass rate this year was 58%. Comparatively, last year's pass rate was 75%. We had 4 sites last year pass 100% of the time- every site this year has seen a failure at least twice. Just a reminder that what we test for is enterococcus, which is an indicator of fecal bacteria. We do not test for vibrio, also known as the "flesh-eating bacteria." Vibrio is a naturally forming bacteria found in our rivers - it particularly likes warm, salty water so it thrives in the late summer months. While we are unable to monitor this bacteria, you can use tools like the NOAA Vibrio forecast model to predict the presence/absence of the bacteria. 

Finally, I want to thank everyone who added their name to our letter urging the County to address the closure of the Discovery Village boat ramp in South County. With more than 370 community members signing on, it's clear just how deeply public water access matters to the people in our communities. We submitted our letter to the County Executive, the County Council, and the Director of Recreation and Parks. We have also forwarded our comments to the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources.

The county has since announced a partnership with Parish Creek Landing Marina to offer a free public boat ramp to residents through the remainder of the 2025 boating season. We would like to share a heartfelt thank you to Parish Creek Landing Marina for stepping up to offer this service to South County residents, but we recognize that this is not a long-term solution. Arundel Rivers recently attended a public meeting organized by the Southern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce and Anne Arundel Watermen’s Association in late August with over 70 other community members to add our voice to the call for maintained public boating access. We are encouraged to hear from the County that they are exploring multiple options to ensure that long-term public boat ramp access will remain available for the Shady Side area. 

Public access will remain a priority for Arundel Rivers and we remain eager to see a long-term solution for free access for all in South County and beyond. Thank you again for raising your voice to support this effort.