Stormwater management and Student Engagement at Key School

We’re thrilled to share a new project that brings together restoration, education, and community partnership—all in support of the South River.

This fall, Arundel Rivers Federation is teaming up with Key School in Annapolis to tackle stormwater issues on their campus while providing students with an incredible hands-on learning experience. Construction will begin in the fall of 2025 for the installation of three Best Management Practices (BMPs) around the school’s Beach Fields—an effort designed to improve water quality in the South River, reduce flooding, and enhance local habitat.

Two of the BMPs are bioretention basins—engineered rain gardens planted with native vegetation designed to slow and soak in stormwater and to add beauty to the site! The third BMP will be a small wetland, ideal for an area with constant pooling of rainwater. This feature will transform grass with very little value in filtering rainwater into a thriving wetland meadow that treats stormwater and provides vital habitat.

Key School students will take an active role in this project. By planting and monitoring these BMPs, we are creating a true living classroom. Through hands-on learning, they’ll explore watershed science, stormwater solutions, and environmental restoration—gaining knowledge and experience they’ll carry into the future as they grow their love for our waters.

This project represents the best of what we do at Arundel Rivers, blending science, education, and community to protect our waterways. Funding for this project is through the United States Environmental Protection Agency managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Resource Restoration Group will serve as the contractor on this project. We’re grateful to our partners and excited to watch these improvements—and young environmental leaders—take root.

Stay tuned for updates as the work unfolds on this project!

***‘This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement 4I-95300101 to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.’