Restore

SRA’s Restoration Program Is Guided By the Severn River Action Plan

The Severn River Action Plan (SRAP) is a long-term strategy to help SRA better understand and track the status of subwatersheds and project implementation in the watershed. It builds our capacity to prioritize and implement future on-the-ground water quality and habitat restoration activities. 

The SRAP is made of two parts. Part 1 is a strategic, phased approach to watershed planning based on a prioritization ranking of all the subwatersheds. Part 2 is the Weems Creek Subwatershed Action Plan, which presents a prioritized list of potential restoration projects in Weems Creek, the #1 priority subwatershed.

Read our Severn River Action Plan Summary Document:

Now that we have an action plan for the #1 priority subwatershed, we will be developing action plans for the remaining top ten priority subwatersheds (if not already available).

#2: Spa Creek – Spa Creek Conservancy developed action plans for both the headwaters and the tidal portions of Spa Creek. Spa Creek Headwater RMP plan final and Spa Creek Tidal Subwatershed Assessment Report

#3: Picture Spring Branch Action Plan – SRA was awarded a Small Watershed grant by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to develop restoration recommendations for the Picture Spring Branch subwatershed. Conceptual plans and funding strategies for top priority projects will be included. 

#4: Severn Run Mainstem 1 – SRA was awarded a Watershed Assistance grant by Chesapeake Bay Trust to create an action plan for this subwatershed. It will identify potential restoration projects and develop concepts for top priority projects.

#5: Severn Run Tributary 2 – future action plan pending funding. 

#6: Back Creek – Prior to merging with the Back Creek Conservancy, there was an action plan developed for Back Creek, where SRA headquarters is located. Back Creek Watershed Action Plan FinalReport

#7: Bear Branch – future action plan pending funding.

#8: Cool Spring Branch – future action plan pending funding.

#9: Chartwell Branch – future action plan pending funding.

#10: Severn Run Tributary 5 – future action plan pending funding.

We focus on Severn River restoration in 3 categories: Upland, Shoreline, and In-The-Water

UPLAND

Stormwater runoff is the largest source of pollution to the Severn River. As the watershed of the river has been developed, the number of parking lots, roads, roofs, and other impervious surfaces has increased. These impervious surfaces do not absorb rainfall, instead the rainwater runs off of these surfaces with increasing speed and force, causing erosion and flushing pollutants like nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, and toxics into the river. Much of our stormwater is funneled into the river through outdated gray infrastructure and degraded stream valleys. SRA works to address this pollution by replacing gray infrastructure with stormwater best management practices, and repairing erosive stream channels. From small-scale practices like rain gardens and bioswales, to large stream restoration projects, SRA is laser-focused on  making sure stormwater is slowed down, spread out, and soaked into the soil, where it is filtered and cleaned before returning to the river. Native plantings in project areas also take up nitrogen and phosphorus, keeping it from reaching the river and fueling algae blooms, which cause hypoxic zones (areas with very little oxygen).

Check out our current projects:

• East Pendennis Mount – Stormwater – to design and permit a bioretention cell treating a large area near a community playground.
• Fairwinds on Severn – Stormwater  – SRA has received $50,000 from Chesapeake Bay Trust and Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration to design stormwater treatment practices in this community. SRA hopes to also fund the design of a living shoreline to prevent further shoreline erosion. 
• Genessee St. – Stormwater – to treat stormwater entering College Creek by designing a bioswale and a bioretention in the Windmill Hills community between Genessee St. and J. Albert Adams Academy
• Forward Brewing Company – Stormwater –  to design and build a rain garden and install permeable pavers at the Forward Brewing Company in Eastport.
• Kensington and Severndale – Stormwater – to design and permit a step-pool stormwater conveyance that will address erosion and treat nutrient and sediment pollution entering Forked Creek.
• Redeemer Anglican Church – Assessment – to assess the Church property for opportunities to increase sustainability, e.g. treating stormwater.

Check out our completed projects:

• Georgetown East – Stormwater –to design and permit three microbioretention cells at the Georgetown East Townhouse Community in Annapolis.
• KeyPoint Giant – Stormwater – to design and permit two microbioretention cells at the Giant on Bay Ridge Rd. in Annapolis. 
• Lake Marion – Restoration – Excavated sediments from stormwater, reconstructed the embankment and replaced a concrete spillway with a step pool conveyance at Lake Marion in The Provinces community. Partnering with Arundel Rivers Federation. 

SHORELINE

Living shorelines integrate offshore stone structures with marsh plantings to stabilize shorelines and provide habitat for aquatic life. These projects include a suite of techniques which can be used to minimize coastal erosion and maintain coastal processes. Site-specific techniques may include the use of fiber coir logs, sills, groins, breakwaters or other natural components such as sand and marsh plantings.

Many times living shoreline techniques result in accumulation of sand at the project site, creating features like that in the pictures above, called “tombolos”. These features in turn can diminish wave energy moving along the shoreline, prevent erosion, improve water quality, and allow animals like horseshoe crabs and Maryland terrapins to come on shore to spawn. Living Shoreline projects help restore the Severn River.

Here is a testimony from the West Severna Park community about their living shoreline:

Check out our current projects:

• Hollywood on Severn – Living Shoreline and Stormwater – to design and permit restoration practices along a community-owned shoreline.
• Greenacres – Living Shoreline and Stormwater– to replace a failing bulkhead with a living shoreline and treat stormwater from almost nine acres via a step pool stormwater conveyance.

Check out our completed projects!

IN-THE-WATER

Oysters

SRA’s in-the-water restoration focuses on oysters and takes a four-pronged approach to Oyster Restoration. First, we seek to increase the number of oyster growers in the Severn River Marylanders Grow Oysters program. Second, we work with a third party organization to deliver large-scale oyster plantings. Third, we monitor the health of the reefs to ensure our efforts deliver results. Finally, we look toward the future by pursuing new restoration reef sites to grow the oyster population. The SRA WQM program collects data at 4 SRA oyster restoration sites to monitor the effect on water quality from these reefs and collects data at several potential future oyster restoration sites to ensure water quality conditions will support oyster restoration efforts.

Severn River Marylanders Grow Oysters Program

Another way SRA works to restore the Severn River is through the Severn River MGO program, which uses volunteers to grow oysters on their pier. In the fall each volunteer will receive oyster spat-on-shell and cages to grow in a protected way for the critical first year of life. In the summer, volunteers will deliver their year-olds to a chosen reef to plant their oysters. If you would like more information or to participate, please fill out this form:

MGO Webpage