Kaiser Foundation Hospital Anaheim Community Benefit Report 2011

Protecting, Preserving, Restoring and Celebrating the South River

SouthRiver

2012 Report Card

south riverf e d e r a t i o n

Message from the Executive Director

It’s hard to believe that we’re publishing our 6th Annual South

River Report Card this year. Our sampling program continues

to expand and to set the benchmark for local watershed

monitoring efforts statewide, a fact of which we are very proud.

Our intensive monitoring program has given us a tremendous

amount of insight into the nature and depth of the issues facing the South River,

as well as the steps that we are going to need to take in order to clean it up.

This year’s report card adds a new indicator, pH, and includes the 7 other

water quality and human health indicators that we have been sampling for the

past several years. We’ve also added letter grades — based on the scale used by

the Anne Arundel County Public Schools — to put our indicator scores in

context. My guess is, if your child came home with a report card like the one the

river received this year, there would be serious consequences and a lot of

afterschool assistance. And, while a clean South River and Chesapeake Bay are

all of our responsibility, the federal government ultimately holds the Anne

Arundel County government accountable for these abysmal grades.

Watershed protection groups, like the South River Federation, exist to help

clean up our local waterways. We would like nothing more than to assist the

county government in the role of pulling their water quality grades up, but to

date, the county government hasn’t shown political will to do so. That’s no

matter, however. Until they do, we will continue to work with our members and

watershed stewards, our community associations, and local businesses to seek

grant funding to do the work ourselves, with your help. Thank you for your

commitment to a healthy South River.

Erik MichelsenEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

– 2 –

About the Report Card

The South River Federation is pleased to present the 6th South River Report Card, providing anassessment of the State of Health of the South River, Maryland. This assessment has nine

water quality indicators (water clarity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a (spring/summer), totalnitrogen, total phosphorus, pH (surface/bottom), and underwater grasses) a human healthindicator (bacteria), an enforcement indicator, and two descriptive indicators which are notscored. Weekly, Diana Muller, the South RIVERKEEPER® and her crew of volunteers performedwater quality monitoring at 21 stations in the tidal portion of the South River during the waterquality monitoring season, from April through October. [The water quality scores are calculatedfor each numeric indicator, in accordance to the Chesapeake Bay Program Criteria. Referencesused were: “Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Dissolved Oxygen, Water Clarity and Chlorophyll a forthe Chesapeake Bay and Its Tidal Tributaries, 2003-2008”and the Code of Maryland Regulations(COMAR). ]

Report Card Grades 2012Water Quality Indicators Percent Grade ChangeWater Clarity 5% E DecreaseDissolved Oxygen 49% E DecreaseTotal Nitrogen 11% E DecreaseTotal Phosphorus 10% E No ChangeChlorophyll a — Spring 8% E No ChangeChlorophyll a — Summer 5% E No ChangepH (surface) 30% E NewpH (bottom) 72% C NewUnderwater Grasses 3% E Slight Increase

Human Health Indicator — Scores (0-10)Bacteria 78% C No Change

Enforcement Indicator — Scores (0-10)Anne Arundel County 80% B No ChangeState of Maryland 60% D Slight Increase

– 3 –

Water Quality Indicator Grades 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Water Clarity E E E E EDissolved Oxygen D E D E DTotal Nitrogen X X X A CTotal Phosphorus X X X E EChlorophyll a — Spring X E E E EChlorophyll a — Summer X E E E EBacteria E E C B CUnderwater Grasses E E E E E

The grading scale is as follow: 90-100=A, 89-90=B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59 and less=E (Anne Arundel County Department of Education).

Report Card Grades 2007 – 2011

Water Clarity — 5%Why is water clarity important?

Clear water is critical to underwater grasses. The sun’s rays must be able topass through the water to reach these underwater plants growing in theSouth River’s shallows. Sunlight is the single most important factor in determining underwater

grass survival. Fish also need clear water tosee their prey and avoid being eaten by predators.

What causes poor water clarity?

Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sedi-ment are the main causes of the South River’spoor water clarity. When excess nutrients andsediment run off into the South River theycause the growth of water-clouding algae andphytoplankton (tiny plants). Similarly, whensoil erodes and washes into the South River,particles of sediment become suspended inthe water, causing the South River to turn thecolor of chocolate milk, and blocking sunlight.

Where do the nutrients and sediment come from?

Nutrients and sediments in the South River watershed mostly come from land-based sources,though some nutrients are re-circulated from the sediments in the bottom of the river duringlow oxygen events. Down cutting of stream beds, poorly managed construction sites, stormwater run-off, and septic and sewer outflow also contribute.

When does this occur?

Weather plays a large role in water clarity. Rainstorms wash sediment and nutrients into theSouth River, which causes the water to become cloudy. During drier and cooler conditions, thewater tends to be clearer. Water clarity will always fluctuate naturally depending on weatherconditions.

How is the data collected and calculated?

Water clarity is measured bythe use of a Secchi disk. Outof 242 samples at 21 stationson the river, only 5% passedthe criteria of 1 meter (3.3feet) of light penetration.

Grade: E

Sediment suspended in the South River.

Secchi disk

– 4 –

Dissolved Oxygen — 49%Why is dissolved oxygen important?

Oxygen is the number onenecessity for life. In aquatic systems, oxygen is found inthe form of dissolved oxygen and without it the fish,crabs, oysters, and other critters cannot exist. Lowdissolved oxygen concentrations can lead to reducedgrowth and reproduction rates, behavioralimpairments, and eventually death.

What causes poor dissolved oxygen?

As phytoplankton (small plants) and algae grow andexpand into large blooms (driven by nutrient overloads)these plants respire or “breathe.” The respiration cause

the plants to consume oxygen, which depletes the water column of the oxygen needed foranimals. This is worsened when the phytoplankton die off and the bacteria that feed on themconsume additional dissolved oxygen.

Where do the nutrients and organic matter come from?

Nutrient and organic overload is the number one cause of poor dissolved oxygen in the SouthRiver. The nutrients and organic matter come from stormwater when it rains, leaky septic

systems and failing sewer pipes. Phytoplankton and algae“feed” on the nutrients causing large extensive blooms. Therespiration and decomposition of these blooms causes thelow dissolved oxygen.


The low dissolved oxygen levels have been occurring fromMarch through November, depending on the amount of rainthis area has received (stormwater) and the temperature ofthe water/air. Warm waters with excessive nutrients set-upgreat conditions for phytoplankton and algae to grow. Peopleforget that not only do these microscopic plants give offoxygen when they photosynthesize (in the daytime), but alsoconsume oxygen when they respire (in the nighttime). Whenthese microscopic plants decompose, the microbial processconsumes that oxygen as well.


Dissolved oxygen is measured by the use of a calibratedmeter called a Hydrolab DS5. Out of 242 samples at 21stations, only 49.4% passed the criteria of 5 mg/l of dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters ofthe South River.

Grade: E

Andrew, Diana and Michele working updissolved oxygen data.

A victim of low dissolved oxygen.

Andrew with the Hydrolab.

– 5 –

Nutrients Total Nitrogen —11%

Total Phosphorus —10%

Why are nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) important?

Just as nutrients are important for land based plants andanimals, phytoplankton and algae need nitrogen andphosphorus to grow. Aquatic organisms, such asmenhaden eat only phytoplankton/algae for food.However, too much of a good thing is bad. If you over-fertilize your garden, it dies. The same is true for the SouthRiver; too many nutrients cause an over production ofphytoplankton and algae. The phytoplankton and algaeuptake the nutrients, causing them to grow, and as theygrow, they expand into a giant bloom, and the plantsconsume oxygen. Then when the phytoplankton and algaedie, the biological decay consumes oxygen.

What causes high levels of nutrients?

Nitrogen comes from atmospheric sources, such as burning coal and other fossil fuels, as well asfrom human and animal waste, fertilizer, and the breakdown of organic material. Phosphorus isfound in fertilizer, but it is also bound to sediment, so erosion of soil from construction sites orstream banks can often result in both sediment and phosphorus pollution.

Where do nutrients come from?

The nutrients in the South River watershed mostly come from stormwater runoff, leaky septicand sewer systems, eroding stream banks, and fertilizers. Some nutrients are also recycled frombottom sediments during low oxygen events.


Rain events “wash” the nutrients into the streams and into the South River. Conventional septicsystems are designed to “leak” nutrient into thegroundwater, which eventually makes their way to theriver. In some cases, sewer lines are antiquated andeventually break and leak, discharging nutrients into thegroundwater as well.


Nutrients are collected in the field and measured by theuse of a spectrophotometer. Out of 241 samples at 21stations, only 11% of the sites sampled passed fornitrogen and 10% passed for phosphorus.

Grade: E

– 6–

Diana investigating the algal mat.

Chlorophyll a Spring — 8%

Summer — 5%

Why is chlorophyll important?

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plankton and algae. These plants use the chlorophyllto capture sunlight for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll a is used as an indicator to estimateconcentration of phytoplankton and algae in the South River.

What causes high chlorophyll concentrations?

As phytoplankton (small plants) and algae grow and expand into large blooms (driven bynutrient overloads) these plants respire. The respiration cause the plants to consume oxygen,which depletes the water column of the oxygen needed for animals.

Where do the phytoplankton and algae blooms come from?

These microscopic plants are found naturally in theSouth River, however with excessive amounts ofnutrients and phosphorus-laden sediments, theseplants digest these nutrients and form large blooms,mats, or giant blobs. One species of algae that youmay find on the bottom of the South River isEnteromorpha; another one found this past Junegrowing in a giant, blue-green, algae blob in Beard’sCreek was Gloeocapsopsis. Both of these species liketo grow in areas that have an excess of phosphorus.


Usually the higher chlorophyll concentrations occurduring the spring and summer, however, we have

been seeing what is known as “rolling blooms.” A fall or winter bloom is normal, but the SouthRiver has seen high concentrations of blooms during the late fall and winter months. This is dueto the over abundance of nutrients andirregular climatic events.


Chlorophyll a measurements are taken withour Hydrolab DS5. Grab samples are alsotaken and measuredspectrophotometrically. Out of 241measurements at 21 stations, 8% passedthe criteria of 6.7µg/l for spring and 5%passed the criteria of 7.7 µg/l for summer.

Grade: E

– 7 –

Enteromorpha

Gloeocapsopsis

pH Surface — 30%

Bottom — 72%

Why is pH important?

This year’s new indicator is pH. Measuring pH and alkalinity in the SouthRiver and throughout the South River watershed are extremely importantto understanding its overall health. Since the pH of water is critical to thesurvival of most aquatic plants and animals and alkalinity is ameasurement of the water’s capacity to neutralize acids, monitoring pH isvitally important. Substances with a pH of less than 7 are acidic, and thosewith a pH greater than 7 are basic.

What causes pH changes?

Biological activity can significantly alter pH in the South River. Through a process calledphotosynthesis, plants remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the water and expel oxygen (O2).Since CO2 becomes carbonic acid when it dissolves in water, the removal of CO2 results in ahigher pH, and the water becomes more alkaline, or basic. When algae naturally begin toincrease in estuaries during the spring, pH levels tend to rise. An overabundance of algae (calledan algal bloom) may cause pH levels in the river to rise significantly, and this can be lethal toaquatic animals

Where has this been occurring?

The increase in pH peaks shortly after the chlorophyll and/or blue-green algae blooms.


These increases in pH have generally beenoccurring in the late spring through thesummer, however due to the high nutrientconcentrations and climatic events, bloomshave also been occurring in the fall and earlywinter. The impact is that aquatic animals whichcan only live in a narrow pH range are stressedor killed by the fluctuations.


pH is collected using a calibrated Hydrolab DS5.The criteria for a healthy pH range is between6.5 and 8. The 242 number of surface samples ofpH had 30% passing and 242 bottom samples ofpH had 72% passing.

Grade: ESurface

Grade: CBottom

– 8 –

pH Scale

Healthy pH Zone

– 9 –

Underwater Grasses — 3%Why are underwater grasses important?

Underwater grasses are the life support system of the South River andChesapeake Bay! They provide the dissolved oxygen nec-essary for aquatic animals. These grasses serve as a habitatfor fish, blue crabs, mollusks, and birds. Bay scientists havefound that 30 times more juvenile blue crabs live in grassbeds than barren bottom.

What causes the lack of underwater grasses?

The lack of underwater grasses is due to the poor waterquality conditions in the South River. The high concentrations of sediment and nutrients com-ing off of the land prevent sunlight from reaching the bottom of the shallows. Without sunlight,the grasses will not grow, and if the grasses do not grow, then there will not be enough oxygenor habitat for animals.

Where are the underwater grasses located?

Just this past summer, my team and I kayaked aroundSouth River Farm Park, surveying the area and we locatedunderwater grasses! After a formal survey, we found 15acres of underwater grasses in Selby Bay and Glebe Bay.The grasses growing this year were horned pondweed(Zannichellia palustris), sago pondweed (Potamogentonpectinatus), and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima).

When do they grow?

Horned-pond weed grows from mid-April through May. Sago pondweed and widgeon grassgrow in the South River from June through the end of October.


Diana Muller, South RIVERKEEPER® andher team go out on the South Riverkayaking to survey the areas whereunderwater grasses are growing. Thiswater-based survey is supplemented byaerial fly-overs by the Virginia Institute ofMarine Science. During the survey, GPSpoints are taken, water claritymeasurements are made and underwatergrass samples are taken for identification.The restoration goal for the South River is455 acres and only 15 acres were found,leaving a 3% attainment.

Grade: E

Sago pond weed

Underwater grasses in the South River

Diana with Sago pond weed.

– 10 –

Bacteria — 78%Why are bacteria important?

Bacteria levels, specifically Enterococci, are importantbecause children, adults, pregnant women,immune–compromised individuals, and the elderly can becomedangerously ill by swimming in areas that are high in fecal bacteria.Enterococci levels are an indicator of fecal matter, and who wants to swimin feces? People swimming in areas high in bacteria can get diarrhea,

fever, gastritis, skin and tissue infections, chills, muscle aches, eye infections, and/or respiratoryinfections. Chronic effects could be ulcerated infections, seizures, and death.

What causes high levels of bacteria?

Animal waste, sewage spills, septic leaks, and illegalboat discharge — any form of fecal waste in thewaterways — can result in high bacteria levels.

Where do the bacteria come from?

Enterococci are bacteria found in the intestine of allwarm-blooded animals, including humans. Becausethe bacteria are always present in animal and humanwaste, they are easy to detect and they are used as indicators of water quality conditions.Enterococci are in food, water and soils, but they cannot become airborne. The EPA recommendsusing Enterococci levels to measure bacterial contamination in recreational water.


High levels of bacteria usually occur after any small rain event. The rain washes pet and animalwaste and septic effluent into the South River causing the levels to increase. This year a flock ofCanada Geese decided to take residence in the Glen Isle community causing the concentrationof the bacteria to be elevated to unsafe levels (>104 colony forming units/ml). We spotted thehigh concentrations before the Health Department and were able to advise the community onhow to scare off the geese. One Canada Goose can “poop” up to one pound of fecal matter perday. Imagine 50 geese in an area!


On a weekly basis, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Diana Muller, South RIVERKEEPER®and her team go out to community beaches or recreational areas on the South River to collectwater samples for bacteria. The samples are taken to Dr. Hornor’s microbiology lab at AnneArundel Community College for analysis as part of the Operation Clearwater program. Resultsare provided to communities the following evening, as well as posted on our website. AnneArundel County also performs bacteria testing, however not after rain events.(http://www.aahealth.org/programs/env-hlth/rec-water) If you would like to have yourcommunities recreational area tested please contact our office at 410-224-3802 and request tosign up for Operation Clearwater.

Grade: C

Canada Goose

Enforcement AA County — 80%

State of Maryland — 60%Why enforcement?

Fishable, swimmable, and drinkable waters are our right as citizens inAmerica. In order to keep our waterways clean, the Clean Water Actwas created in the early 1970s, and is enforced by the EPA, the states,and local authorities. However, sometimes citizens also need to have a legalweapon against polluters/ violators; that is the importance of citizen suits in the legal system.

What are some of the enforcement issues?

The South River Federation participates on alllevels on enforcement: local, state, and federal.Some of these include: construction sediment anderosion issues, illegal dumping and/or discharge,NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge andElimination System), Superfund, stormwater,critical area violations, and legislative issues. Notonly were there critical area violations in 2012, butzoning issues were a hot topic before the Anne

Arundel County Council this year. The South River Federation opposed the up-zoning of Rt2 and214, won a case to stop a development on Warehouse Creek, and is presently working on severalland use issues within the South River watershed.

Where do most of the violations occur?

Environmental violations can occur anywhere at any time and can be of a variety of issues. Thebest way for citizens to avoid environmental violations is to know what the local critical area andgrading laws are in Anne Arundel County. The following website is the link to the critical arealaws: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/criticalarea/compliance.asp

When do violations occur?

It is interesting to note that I have found most of the violations occurred during holidays, theweekends when Anne Arundel County staff is furloughed, late nights, or early mornings. Someof the violations are citizens just not aware the law and others are intentional. Citizens mustknow the critical area laws before they perform work themselves or hire a contractor.


Data collected is from the responses that Diana Muller, South RIVERKEEPER®, receives from thecounty, state, and federal agencies on enforcement issues in the South River watershed. TheSouth River Federation maintains a database of all citizen calls and responds to all calls made bycitizens in the South River watershed. The South RIVERKEEPER® works with the local, state andfederal agencies on these enforcement issues. Some have lead to the State of Maryland Attor-ney General’s office prosecuting the violations that Diana has found. The South RIVERKEEPER®also, records the enforcements actions listed publicly on the Anne Arundel County, Departmentof the Environment, and Department of Natural Resources websites.

– 11 –

Grade: BAA County

Grade: DState of Maryland

Flora and FaunaWhy flora and fauna important indicators?

Flora and fauna are extremely important indicators of an ecosystem’s health and dynamics.Some species are more vulnerable to poor water quality, toxins, and air pollution. Since the banof DDT, bald eagles, osprey, and herons have made a significant return to the river. Loss of habi-tat, poor water quality, toxins, over-fishing, and hunting are some of the causes of wildlife de-cline. However, the addition of management controls on fishing and hunting have allowedmany species to rebound. In some cases, habitat degradation has caused native flora species to

be out-competed by non-native species, and thenon-native plants do not provide the necessaryfood requirements for the wildlife in the area.

What are some of the invasive species?

In the South River watershed a few invasive plantsare: Phragmites (Phragmites australis), Japanesestiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), kudzu, daylilies,and English ivy. Japanese stiltgrass is important toeradicate because it grows in wetland areas and is

shade tolerant. Some local invasive fauna are mute swans, northern snakehead, Asian carp, andthe Chinese Mitten Crab. The following website is a good source for information on invasivespecies and their identification: http://www.mdinvasivesp.org/index.html

Where are some of the native flora and fauna found?

Invasive species are found everywhere and must be controlled or eradicated. It is far more inter-esting to observe the native animals in the South River. So far in the South River watershed wehave a couple of nesting pairs of bald eagles, 26 pairs of osprey, and great blue herons, a num-ber of oyster reefs, and low populations of white and yellow perch. We have had sightings of theplayful river otters in the Flat Creek area, Beards Creek, Glebe Bay, and Duvall Bay. The SouthRiver watershed has had a rebound of the North American Beaver (Castor canadensis), after al-most being trapped to extinction. There is scientific evidence that the dams they build improvewater clarity and quality and provide wetland habitat for other animals.

When can you see some of the flora and fauna?

The osprey come to the South River watershed during early spring, the blue herons start nestingin early summer and they usually like the tops of pine trees. I have seen the great blue heronsmake large nests at South River Farm Park. If you ever kayak around the area, watch the tops ofthe pine trees closely and you will see them nesting. The few bald eagles the South River water-shed has, live in the area year round. Throughout the warmer winter this year, the river ottershave been seen swimming during the morning hours and around dusk.


The US Fish and Wildlife Service maintain and monitor the osprey and bald eagle nests in theSouth River watershed and Chesapeake Bay. Fish and oyster populations are monitored by theMaryland Department of Natural Resources. Other data is collected by our members, staff, andvolunteers providing coordinates and identification of species.

– 12 –

Stream & Wetland RestorationWhy is stream and wetland restoration important?

Stream and wetland restoration is important because so many of our non-tidal tributaries to theriver are so heavily damaged. Throughout Anne Arundel County, 84% of perennial streams areexperiencing moderate to high levels of sediment erosion, 57% are degraded or heavily

degraded, and 72% are in poor or very poor biological condition. These systems are signifi-cant sources of sediment and phosphorus pol-lution and generally provide poor habitat forthe organisms that should inhabit them.

What causes poor stream conditions?

The current condition of our stream valleys isthe product of over 350 years of intensive landuse. First, settlers cleared the land for agricul-ture and hunted the beaver population, which

was at the time, massive, to local extinction. As soil ran off the land, it collected in stream valleysbehind dams built to power mills, smothering hundreds of acres of wetlands, or made its waydown into tidewater of the river, creating large marshes where before open water had existed.As earthen dams gave way or other stream impoundments breached, narrow “streams” werecarved through these new agricultural sediments, a mere shadow of the ecosystems that pre-ceded them. As the watershed developed, increasing amounts of stormwater were piped intothese already degrading systems, causing them to further erode and deteriorate.

Where do these projects take place?

These sorts of projects are targeted by both the Federation and Anne Arundel County to takeplace in stream valleys throughout the watershed and at the site of degraded outfalls into thesesystems. Wherever these “legacy” agricultural sediments sit atop historic stream valley wetlandsthere are opportunities to restore the water quality and habitat benefits of these stream andwetland systems.


The Federation is able to undertake stream and wetland restoration projects when we have thesupport of local landowners, the financial support to seek design and permitting services forthese projects, and a steady, reliable stream of funding for the construction of these projects.Each project can easily cost between $500,000 to $1,000,000, so it is critical to have a dedicated,well-funded source of revenue for these projects at the local level.


The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works keeps track of all of the stream and wet-land restoration projects, as well as smaller “best management practices,” designed to reducestormwater pollution as part of its state stormwater permit requirements. During the permitcycle, the Department of Public Works is required to treat the stormwater runoff from at least20% of the paved and non-porous surfaces in the county. The water quality improvements cre-ated by each project are measured either through sampling by researchers, such as University ofMaryland scientists, or through modeled pollutant removal efficiencies.

– 13 –

ConclusionDiana Muller — South RIVERKEEPER®

The story of the year for the South River is the major climate events that took place. The secondweek of March we saw large amount of rain, which created large sediment and nutrient

plumes coming from all of the South River sub-watersheds into the tidal section of the SouthRiver. Then in April of 2011 when the river started warming up, the South River experienced earlyon-set hypoxia (dissolved oxygen below 2mg/l). The salinity in the South River also decreaseddramatically during this time from a normal 8-10 to 2-4. In June, we saw something that wasincredible—in Beard’s Creek we had an algae bloom, nicknamed Chessie of the South River. This 6foot by 8 foot algae monster was tied to a homeowners pier. According to my contacts at MDDNR, this species of algae usually occurs near wastewater treatment plants. Well, low and behold,half of Beard’s Creek is on septic systems. These septics leak nitrogen and phosphorus into theriver where the algae “eat” the nutrients causing these large blue-green algae blooms.

In July, the South River’s water temperature increased to close to 90°F. All of those nutrientsthat were in the river from the spring storms became food for the algae and phytoplankton andthe South River’s water quality became even worse. The South River even experience a smallHarmful Algae Bloom, (procentrum ) as monitored by Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR).

On August 27, 2011, Hurricane Irene blew through the area sucking the water out of the basin.Essentially, the winds from Hurricane Irene cleaned up the South River, causing the water to befunneled out into the Chesapeake Bay. I had never seen such great water clarity in the head wa-ters as the day after this hurricane.

Then, good ole Tropical Storm Lee swept through the area, dumping a tremendous amount ofrain in the watershed. The South River looked like chocolate milk. The quick rushing waters cutdown through the already incised streams emptying their load into the tidal portion of the SouthRiver. The water clarity dropped from 0.7m to 0.1 meters in the headwaters and the salinitydropped from 6 to 1.

So why did precipitation from Tropical Storm Lee affect the South River so badly? One of thereasons is lack of flood plains and wetland area. If the headwaters of all of the sub-watersheds hadbetter floodplain systems, there would have been more room for the stormwater to be treated. In-

stead channel beds act asstormwater pipes, carryingthe rainwater at high ratesinto the tidal section.

Granted this was amajor storm event, butafter each and every rainstorm, nutrients and sedi-ment are carried into thetidal section. The problemswith the South River ingeneral are coming fromthe South River watershedand nowhere else. It willtake political will, money,and time to fix our river,there is no quick fix but itcan be done!

– 14 –

Problem SolutionNutrients and Sediments ✴ Reduce or Stop Fertilizing

✴ Use native shrubs, trees, plantswhen planting

✴ Install a Denitrifying Septic systemStormwater ✴ Rain Barrels

✴ Rain Gardens✴ Community Bio-Swale

Bacteria ✴ Scoop the Poop✴ Stop Feeding the Geese

Shoreline /Stream Erosion ✴ Install a Living Shoreline✴Make the stream buffer wider (50

feet) and plant native grasses

Solutions for the South River

– 15 –

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the following for their support and/or funding to the

mission of the South River Federation’s Annual Report Card.

Their continued contribution and support is greatly appreciated.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

KEITH CAMPBELL FOUNDATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TRUST

FROHRING FOUNDATION

PIERRE HENKART, PH.D. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH

SALLY HORNOR, PH.D. ANNE ARUNDEL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

ANDREW MULLER, PH.D

MURRAY FOUNDATION

NORCROSS WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

OPERATION CLEARWATER

ROBERT ORTH, PH.D., VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE

MARLENE RICE • SIMONCINI GRAPHICS

ROUSE FOUNDATION

SOUTH RIVER FEDERATION STAFF AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SOUTH RIVERWATCHERS

TOWN CREEK FOUNDATION

Photo Credits

JENNIFER CARR

JOHN KOONTZ

DIANA MULLER

www.southriverfederation.net ✴ [email protected]

2830 Solomons Island Road ✴ Suite A

Edgewater, MD 21037

410-224-3802

Published March 2012 ✴ Graphic Design by Simoncini Graphics

MEMBER

south riverf e d e r a t i o n

Kaiser Foundation Hospital Anaheim Community Benefit Report 2011

Documents

Transcript of Kaiser Foundation Hospital Anaheim Community Benefit Report 2011