Updated: September 2026
The Severn River Association (SRA), in partnership with the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP), is developing a Subwatershed Action Plan for Picture Spring Branch, a non-tidal tributary to the Severn River located near Odenton, Maryland. This plan aims to improve water quality, restore habitat, and strengthen community resilience within this heavily developed area.
Project Summary
The Severn River Association (SRA), in partnership with the Center for Watershed Protection, is developing a Watershed Action Plan for the Picture Spring Branch Subwatershed. This initiative responds to the Severn River being listed as impaired for nutrients and sediments under the Clean Water Act. The action plan will identify, rank, and prioritize restoration projects to reduce nutrient and sediment loads, enhance habitats, and improve community resilience to environmental challenges. This project is made possible through a $116,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Goals and Objectives
The overreaching goal is to create a long-term strategy for addressing nutrient and sediment pollution in Picture Spring Branch. Specific objectives include:
- Developing a long-term strategy to address nutrient and sediment pollution in PSB.
- Identifying a list of viable stormwater (SW) management projects.
- Prioritizing projects based on racial equity, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and likelihood of success.
- Building capacity within the Severn River watershed to implement future restoration actions.
Project Motivation
In 2024, SRA published our Severn River Action Plan (SRAP), which was also developed with a Small Watershed Grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The SRAP updated previous restoration planning documents, and created a long-term strategy that prioritized subwatersheds for restoration based on a comprehensive analysis. It further identified a list of potential restoration projects in the Weems Creek subwatershed, the #1 priority. The #2 priority (Spa Creek) already has an action plan. Now, SRA is advancing future restoration by creating an action plan for Picture Spring Branch, the #3 priority subwatershed. This plan, led by SRA with support from Center for Watershed Protection and a Steering Committee, will guide future restoration projects to improve water quality in the watershed and the Severn River.
Where Is Picture Spring Branch?
Picture Spring Branch is a freshwater, non-tidal tributary located near Odenton, Maryland, within Anne Arundel County. It flows into the headwaters of the Severn River. The Picture Spring Branch subwatershed, highlighted in cyan below, more or less hugs the sharp curve in Route 32 that goes around the Odenton area.
The Picture Spring Branch subwatershed is heavily developed, with quite a lot of impervious surfaces.
Potential Restoration Opportunities
We’ll begin by using GIS to identify potential restoration sites, including stream and wetland segments that could be restored, and locations where stormwater runoff can be reduced. This includes opportunities to retrofit or enhance existing best management practices (BMPs) and identify sites for new BMPs.
Using the Anne Arundel County Restoration Estimator Tool, we’ve already flagged 50 stream segments and 33 existing BMPSs for further evaluation. Together, these BMPs could treat up to 139 acres of impervious surface within a 273 acre drainage area. Field visits will help us determine which sites are feasible, cost effective and worth prioritizing for restoration.
Environmental Benefits
The action plan will focus on reducing pollutants entering the Picture Spring Branch and the Severn River, leading to several environmental benefits:
- Reduced nutrient and sediment loads in the waterways.
- Improved water quality and stream health.
- Enhanced habitat for aquatic life, including American Black Duck, oysters, crabs, and various fish species.
- Restoration of riparian and freshwater habitats through forested buffers and stream restoration.
- Increased nature-based resilience to climate change impacts like flooding and erosion.
Community Benefits
The Picture Spring Branch Action Plan aims to engage and benefit communities in several ways:
- Increased awareness about stormwater runoff, green infrastructure, and environmental stewardship.
- Community input will be gathered through stakeholder meetings to ensure the plan reflects local priorities and values.
- Opportunities for community members to participate in project implementation and maintenance.
- Improved community resilience to flooding and erosion issues.
- Enhanced green spaces and aesthetic improvements.
We Want to Hear From You!
You know your neighborhood best and we want to hear from you. Where do you see stormwater pooling or carrying sediment when it rains? Your input will help us identify and prioritize projects that matter most to your community.
SRA will host community meetings to share updates, gather feedback and connect with residents who care about the Severn River and want to make a difference.
Missed the meeting? No problem, here is the presentation:
PSB Community Presentation
Anticipated Outcomes
The action plan is expected to yield several key outcomes:
- A ranked list of restoration projects based on feasibility, cost and community benefit
- Conceptual designs for the top 10priority projects.
- Strengthened partnerships with Anne Arundel County, CWP and local residents/communities
Increased capacity for ongoing watershed restoration and management.
Ultimately, these projects will reduce pollution and improve water quality in both Picture Spring Branch and Severn River.
Timeline
- April 2024 – Grant application submitted
- September 2024 -Grant awarded, project kickoff
- November 2024 – Draft of Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) completed
- April 2025 – QAPP approved by EPA
- May-June 2025 – Data collection and review
- June-July 2025 – GIS analysis and site selection
- July-August 2025 – Field work to assess site feasibility
- October 2025 – Steering Committee meeting
- December 2025 – Project ranking
- February 2026 – Concept designs
- March 2026 – Community Meeting
- 2026 – Picture Spring Branch Subwatershed Action Plan
- Next Steps: – Begin project development