The following summary is an extract from a report published by the Severn Riverkeeper Program titled: "2007 Severn Riverkeeper Monitoring Program" by Fred Kelly, Severn Riverkeeper.
The Severn River is the "Capital River" of the State of Maryland. Because of its outstanding beauty, the Severn was designated as a Maryland Scenic River in 1971. Unfortunately, special protection did not come with this designation and the Severn has received little or no protection since then.
The 2006 and 2007 SevernStat Reports tell us the story of a dying river. Dead zones are spreading and resources are disappearing. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently announced, in its Severn River Yellow Perch study, the loss of this fishery. The once productive Severn spawning grounds have collapsed, and the Severn is fast becoming a wasteland.
The only hope fo the Severn is for all of us to review our impact on the waterway and change our destructive practices. We know the causes of the problem, and we know the solutions, it only remains for us to commit the funding to apply the available technology.
The Severn Riverkeeper Program is a vehicle for all who care to become directly involved in protecting and restoring the River. Please join us in this effort, so that future generations can enjoy the Severn that we have enjoyed.
My special thanks to all those who made this report possible and especially the Severn 1000 Club and Dr. Pierre Henkart.
2007 Severn Riverkeeper Monitoring Project
by Pierre Henkart PhD, Severn Riverkeeper Program
Summary
The 2007 Severn monitoring project regularly measures salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and surface water clarity from 15 stations throughout the tidal Severn River during the months of May through October. Bottom dissolved oxygen levels throughout the River were consistently below the Chesapeake Bay Program's "healthy" level of 5 mg/liter. In the mid-Severn/Round Bay section the mean summer bottom dissolved oxygen level averaged less than 1 mg/liter, and hydrogen sulfide was often detected in water samples. These data confirm our 2006 finding of a summer 'dead zone" in this region of Severn. This problem is similar to that occurring the the Chesapeake as a whole, and results from excessive growth of phytoplankton, driven by nitrogen and phosphorous based nutrients in the water. Salinity measurements showed an increasing salinity at all stations throughout the summer, and also showed the Severn is generally well mixed. Water clarity measurements showed that the mid Severn/Round Bay Region had the best surface water clarity, correlating with the growth of substantial submerged aquatic vegetation along the shore in this region. Restricting the influx of phytoplankton nutrients into the Severn would improve both its low dissolved oxygen and restricted water clarity problems, and could lead to improved fishing and crabbing. (For more information or copies of the complete report, please contact Fred Kelly, The Severn Riverkeeper Program, 329 Riverview Trail, Annapolis, MD 21401 or call 410-849-8540).
Pictured below are Fred Kelly, Severn Riverkeeper and Austin Bachmann, President, OSPIA
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