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State of the Severn 2008State of the Severn 2008State of the Severn 2008State of the Severn 2008

Kurt Riegel

President

Severn River Association

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Severn River WatershedSevern River Watershed

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• Area = 81 square miles (85% is land) (0.12 % Chesapeake watershed)

• 110,000 people• Rainfall = 40 inches annually

(56 billion gallons, about a Billion rain barrels)• Forests & trees disappearing fast, no control

outside Critical Area, weak • Impervious cover increasing fast• Water quality & resources in severe decline.

The Severn River WatershedThe Severn River Watershed

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Severn River Raft-up

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Severn River Watershed Trends

• Deforestation, tree removal, non-native plants• Growing population, roads, buildings• Growing energy & water use, trash/sewage • Declining chemical & bacterial water quality • Declining aquatic life (abundance & variety)• Degrading shoreline environments• Increasing power boat traffic, waves & effluents• Balkanized neighborhoods impede walking/biking• Most public access to water is gone• Public awareness growing (weak commitment).

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Fox Creek on the Severn

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Watershed NeedsWatershed Needs

• Bay health depends on tributaries (Severn River)• Severn River health depends on watershed land• What happens in and near the water is Critical• So is what happens far from water’s view• Address watershed components holistically

– Water & Critical Area practices– Forest, tree & vegetation practices – Development, use of land, impervious cover– Infrastructure: stormwater, sewage & septic– Education, laws, regulations, peer pressure.

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Kill trees to plant people?

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• Public awareness slow to develop• Effective public policies even slower• Positive steps: Bay trust fund, restoration &

cleanup projects, energetic civic groups like SRA• Bay Friendly Neighborhood Program• Tensions: watershed goals & property rights• Critical Area Law strengthened, but challenges• Good stormwater law failed 4/3 (we’ll be back)• Weak stormwater tax credit (10% over 5 years)

Watershed Progress?Watershed Progress?

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Rain Barrels: Perspective, Please

• Weak tax credit of 10% spread over 5 years• 6 applications for rain barrels, 1 granted• Annual rainfall = 1 Billion rain barrels• Rain barrels, compensate for tree removal• But what’s one mature oak tree worth?

– Wettable, 1-2 rainbarrels will re-evaporate– Builds soakable soil for prolonged root uptake– Uptake/transpiration 1-2 rainbarrels per day– 1 Tree = about 10 well-managed rain barrels

• Kill one, no penalty. Keep one, no reward. • We need better public policy.

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“River House” in Sydney

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