South River Greenway

I've been following efforts to establish the South River Greenway in Anne Arundel County. Although I have been most active in the Maryland's flagship Patuxent Watershed, my home is actually just across a ridgeline in the more compact South River Watershed. While the broad, tidal South River stretches to the Chesapeake Bay south of Annapolis, the upper watershed reaches up a series of small creeks and streams between wooded ridges from Annapolis out to Davidsonville, Crofton, and Millersville.

In a prime location between Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., development pressure in the area is high. Much of the tidal river's shoreline is already developed, as is the western boundary in Crofton. Other subdivisions weave through the area, particularly along Rt 450 which bisects the watershed. Yet much of the land is still rural, consisting of small farms, 800 acres of wetlands and 6000 acres of undeveloped forests. The state, county, and Annapolis city own 2500 acres of land and many more acres are protected by forest conservation easements.

The Scenic Rivers Land Trust, a local Anne Arundel based organization, is leading the effort to expand protection for the area. The SRLT is hosting a set of meeting on the Greenway on January 22nd

Links:
Fact Sheet
Scenic Rivers Land Trust received a grant award of $50,000