October 2025 Riverkeeper Report

October brought nothing but good news for the Riverkeeper Department. Our water quality is significantly improving this month, which is usual and to be expected every October, but even more noticeable this month compared to last year. Our clarity is incredible right now- some of our sites are measuring over 5.5ft of clarity. This site in particular was only measuring 2ft clarity at the same time last year. In addition to great clarity, oxygen levels have also stabilized throughout all of our sites with high oxygen at both deep and surface levels - an excellent improvement from the dead zones and low oxygen events we see in the hotter months.  Not only is our water quality significantly improving, but we also had two water quality "wins" this month: a historic settlement with the Conowingo Dam and the reopening of the boat ramp at Discovery Village. 

Conowingo

The Conowingo Dam is a hydropower dam located on the lower Susquehanna River and operated by Constellation (formerly Exelon). Since its construction in the late 20's, the dam has blocked nutrients and sediments from flowing downstream from northern states and watersheds. Now, nearly 200 million tons of sediment pollution has accumulated behind the dam. During major floods caused by large storms, powerful floodwaters can result in the nutrient-rich sediment behind the dam to be sent downstream to the Chesapeake when the dam's gates open, releasing up to 6 million pounds of nitrogen and 260,000 pounds of phosphorus pollution into the Bay annually. Looking at Arundel Rivers' annual tidal water quality data, we saw a spike in nitrogen pollution in the mouth of the South River – an outlier considering most of our pollution increases as you go upstream in our rivers. This could indicate that the Conowingo Dam to be having a negative impact on the water quality at the mouth of our local rivers. 

In 2021, a number of environmental groups in the region challenged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) issuance of a 50-year renewal license under the Clean Water Act.  After almost a decade of advocacy and legal actions, a settlement agreement on Conowingo Dam's 50-year license valuated at $341 million was announced this month. Within the settlement, Constellation Energy agreed to fund and implement operational improvements and environmental projects to meet enforceable water quality standards by reducing and mitigating the impacts associated with the dam's discharge and operation on the Susquehanna River, the Chesapeake Bay, and its tributaries. The terms of the agreement include operation improvements and upfront and ongoing annual payments for water quality and resiliency projects, trash and debris removal, wildlife passage, freshwater mussel restoration, dredging, and invasive species management. Partner organizations Waterkeepers Chesapeake and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper will also have an ongoing role in the implementation of aspects of the certification and settlement agreement going forward for the next 50 years in partnership with Maryland Department of the Environment. There's no doubt this is a big win for water quality in the Chesapeake. Learn more about the settlement and history of the Dam here. 

Discovery Village Boat Ramp

The month also brought the announcement of the reopening of Discovery Village Boat Ramp in Shady Side. According to Anne Arundel County, a new agreement between the County and the landowner was negotiated, allowing the reopening of the closed boat ramp on Parish Creek off the West River. The boat ramp was closed to the public in July, sparking confusion amongst the community and a lack of free public access points for boaters in the region. Arundel Rivers drafted comments to the County Executive, County Council, Recreation and Parks, and Department of Natural Resources with over 400 Anne Arundel County resident sign-ons. In the meantime, the County provided short-term solutions through a partnership with a local marina while they negotiated with the Discovery Village landowner. We are thrilled the County came to a conclusion that results in the ramp being reopened to the public and we are grateful to the county for maintaining their priority of public access to our cherished waterways. Learn more about the details and new agreement here.

See you on the river,

Elle Bassett

South, West, and Rhode Riverkeeper