So much has changed since SRA was founded in 1911 as a community-based association of volunteers. For 108 years, neighbors have joined together to look out for the best interest of the Severn River. Through the years the SRA has adapted its work to meet the changing needs of society and our beloved Severn. And, 2018 has been no exception.

SRA has modernized and evolved a bit over the years. We’re still the same volunteer-based group with one small difference. In 2017 we hired a Program Officer to deal with the day-to-day chores needed to sustain a modern nonprofit. And in 2018, we consolidated with Back Creek Conservancy to leverage expertise and resources, increase efficiencies, and strengthen the impact of our collective work. This consolidation also offers a new model for SRA, to work in the sub-watersheds of our creeks and coves, as well as with the communities that are located there.

Our mission remains constant. We engage neighbors and communities to enjoy, protect and advocate for the Severn River. We envision a healthy and thriving waterway for present and future generations. I invite you to review some program highlights from 2018 that your support made possible, and join us as we Treasure the Severn!

Warmly,

Lynne Rockenbauch SRA President

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTSevern River Association

ANNUAL REPORT 2018: A Year in Review

Welcometo the Annual Report of the 108th year from the Severn River Association

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Lynne RockenbauchPresidentRepresenting: Severn Run

Jeff SchomigVice PresidentRepresenting: Arnold

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jim McNeeceTreasurerRepresenting: Belvoir Farms

Bob vom SaalSecretaryRepresenting: Ben Oaks on the Severn

OFFICERS

David Read BarkerDevelopment ChairRepresenting: Back Creek

Lisa BenderCarrollton Manor RepRepresenting: Carrollton Manor

Ted DelaplaineDevelopment and OystersRepresenting: Palisades on the Severn

Bryan GomesMember-at-LargeRepresenting: ClearShark H2O

Ken HatchSaltworks RepRepresenting: Saltworks

Tom GuayProgram Officer

Kurt RiegelWebmasterRepresenting: West Annapolis.

Joyce RosencranzProject Clean StreamRepresenting: Indian Landing

John Page WilliamsMember-at-LargeRepresenting: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

John WrightNominating and Education ChairRepresenting: Saefern

Mark ListerFinance ChairRepresenting: StratTechs, Inc.

Daniel MellinSherwood Forest RepRepresenting: Sherwood Forest

Billy MouldenSpecial Projects & Community Land Use Appeal ConsultantRepresenting: Sherwood Forest

Andrew MullerScience DirectorRepresenting: United States Naval Academy

2018 FINANCIALSSRA Income (x $1,000) SRA ExpensesSRA 2018

Expense Distribution (x $1,000)

Donations

Membership Dues

Grants

Other Income

Program $69.0

Fund Raising

Admin & Management

Programs

STAFF

Fund Raising $26.4

Total Expenses $106.3

Admin & Mgt $10.9

Project Clean StreamUnder sponsorship of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, an SRA team led by Joyce Rosencranz with several organizations and citizen volunteers completed eight projects at five sites in the Severn River watershed from March - May 2018. They worked in two marshes; excavated metal and major trash in steep ravines of Severn Run NEA; removed serious invasives in Sullivan’s Cove and Arlington Echo; removed flood debris at Sandy Point Beach; and, began reclamation of a former Scouts’ camp in Severn Run NEA. The 109 volunteers removed 44,206 pounds of trash, tires, and auto parts; removed 6,080 pounds of invasives; planted seven trees, 30 shrubs, and over a 1,000 marsh grass plugs.

Educational Speaker SeriesThroughout the year, more than 600 people have attended SRA’s monthly presentations to learn about various challenges to our river’s health and fishery. John Wright, who lives in the Saefern Community between Saltworks and Clements Creeks, invited a variety of entertaining speakers and attendance mushroomed over the past year. Frequently our speakers face standing-room-only crowds. John adds in some fun to the mix of speakers to cover topics like bird watching, attracting bees and butterflies to our backyards and of course, fishing!

Debut of the new SRA WebsiteTo foster education and outreach to communities, SRA relaunched its website (severnriver.org). The revamp puts a spotlight on ways volunteers can help protect and restore the Severn, such as growing oysters, mapping the return of underwater grasses and planting native species.

Brand New! Speaker Series VideosFor those who miss one of our Educational Speaker Series meetings, we’ve created a web-based Resource Library that includes videos of all of our meetings. Thanks to a Green Grant from BG&E, videographers Scott Hymes and Brian Hissong have produced 13 Speaker Series videos, and the list keeps growing. Check ‘em out at: https://severnriver.org/category/speaker-series.

Online Newsletter & Social Media OutreachSRA publishes an monthly online newsletter to appraise members, volunteers and interested parties about the many programs and volunteer opportunities provided by the Severn River Association. SRA engages the local community with the Severn River and its tributaries through advocacy, education and restoration. The newsletter, as well as press releases and other communiques, reach nearly 2,000 people each month. So far, we’ve emailed 23,712 copies of our newsletter, News Along The Severn.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSSRA supplements this citizen outreach with a social media campaign on Facebook where we have grown to more than 1,300 followers, reaching at times more than 3,000 people in the watershed.

Water Quality MonitoringSRA also launched its first water quality (WQ) monitoring program in 2018 to track the health of our river and the ebb and flow of a permanent dead zone in the river. Under the direction of Dr. Andrew Muller, Associate Professor of Oceanography at the U.S. Naval Academy, SRA’s volunteer WQ teams visited 8 stations every week from July through October to measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, pH and clarity levels. The teams logged more than 263 volunteer hours on the river to create 128 water quality profiles. The data is analyzed by Dr. Muller and Captain Diana Muller, with Maritimas, who present SRA’s annual State of The Severn report. The Mullers also provide training and guidance for our citizen scientist teams. This work is done in partnership with the Severn Riverkeeper.

Marylanders Grow Oysters (MGO)By far, this is one of our most popular programs to engage citizens is oyster growing. Supported by MD’s Department of Natural Resources and the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), more than 400 citizens volunteer each year to raise oyster spat-on-shell in cages that hang from community, marina and private piers in the Severn River. Each year, our growers raise their oysters during the winter and then plant nearly 750,000 baby oysters at a designated reef at the foot of the Rt. 50 Bridge over the Severn. Our MGO program, with roughly 2,000 cages in operation, is the state’s larges volunteer network. Now in its 10th year, the MGO volunteers have planted roughly 3.5 million oysters in the river.

Operation Build-A-ReefJuly 23, 2018 was a monumental day in the history of osyter restoration work on the Severn River. Working with our partner, the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), we raised $25,518 in private donations to plant over 47 million oyster spat-on-shell on four historic oyster reefs between the Rt. 50 and USNA Bridges outside of Weems Creek. WaterMark Cruises donated the Lady Sarah and lunch for a cruise from Annapolis City Dock for the public to witness the planting event.

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Monitor Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)Working with our partner and SAV guru, Brooke Landry with the Department of Natural Resources, SRA recruited nearly 40 volunteer citizen scientists to join the famous SAV ‘Navy’ to map and identify the types of grasses returning to the Severn River. The assignment is to ground truth aerial surveys of grasses taken by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS). The SAV Navy mapped 230 acres of underwater grasses in the Severn, identified and geo-located where the five types of grasses are returning and generated thousands of SAV data points to share with DNR. The SAV Navy even added to the data pool by discovering grasses growing in three new, unexpected areas in the river.

Marshall Dowling Stormwater Action Fund (SAF)SRA was proud to work with four Severn River communities in 2018 to support to stormwater containment projects. The SAF provided $5,500 in matching seed grants to Forest Glen, Cedar Ridge, Quarter Landing and Jones Cove. These grants help pay for project designs, construction costs and a community stormwater assessment.

Save Our Shorelines (SOS)Thanks to private grant support from Walter and Mary-Ann Pinkard, Jr. and BGE, SRA initiated the SOS educational outreach program to inform landowners of the advantages of using living shorelines to protect natural shorelines, wetlands and cliffs from erosion and sea level rise. A web page is under development that will house case studies, educational materials and other resources that prove living shorelines are a cost-effective and ecologically beneficial solution to erosion problems. The SOS program also reaches out to regulators, permit writers, politicians, community leaders to explain the living shoreline advantages.

Headwaters CoalitionSRA is partners with the Severn Riverkeeper, Maryland State Highway Administration, MD Department of Natural Resources and Anne Arundel County’s Watershed Protection and Restoration Program to repair damages caused to the Severn River’s freshwater feeder streams (Severn Run, Jabez) by the effects of stormwater control failures associated with the I-97 and Rt. 32 interchanges that have inundated the headwaters region with tons of sediment pollution.

AdvocacySRA board, staff and volunteers advocate for legislation, regulations and policies to protect water quality in the Severn River, including tightening stormwater control standards, protecting our forests, limiting tree clear-cutting for development and adopting a No Discharge Zone for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County waterways.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

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SRA DONORS

Supporter: $100-$249• Marnie & William K. Blanchet• James Bobb• Barbara Boykin • Peter & Jessice Bradley• David Brown• Lynda & John Burton• John Butler• Peter & Jane Chambliss• Susan Chavez• Arthur Chotin• Jody Clark• Amy Clements,

Spa Creek Conservancy• Marty & David Cohen• Linda Crump• Rodney Daff• Anne Danneberger• Robert de Young• Eric & Beverly DePietropaolo• Wallace Eddleman &

Aaron Eisenfeld• Suzanne Kilby Etgen• Diane R. Evans• Nina Fisher• Robert & Ann Fleer• Gary Fowler• Janellen Frantz• Free State Fly Fishers• Nancy Galetsky• Janet Gartrell• Kathleen Geiger• Bryan Gomes• Sarah Griffith• Chris Groobey• Thomas Guay• Noel & Cynthia Hall• Jonathon & Perrin Hicks• Forrest & Charlotte Hill • Robert Houck• Ann Jackson• Barbara Kappel• Brad Knopf• Brandon Korink• Charles Kreter• Jim McNeece• Helen Mealy• Mike& Tina Meegan

• Gene Milgram• Mark Morsheimer• Marion & John Morton• Elizabeth Moser• Raul Nelson• Network for Good• Douglas & Diane Nichols• Catherine Noon• Nancy O’Brien• Mary Ostrye• Wayne Phillips• Kathleen Powell• Rick Powell• Richard & Nancy Pendergast• Roger & Connie Pumphrey• Louise Rafferty• Patricia Ranney• Ruth & Roger Reeves• Robert & Joan Rich• Roberts, Kenneth, M.U.S.E.• Patricia Rowan• Jeffrey Scheidlinger• Jeffrey Schomig• Ruth & Jim Seerey• Kevin & Sharon Smith• Eugene Stastny• James R. Stolarski• James Tatem• Judy Templeton• Susan Trice• Christina Vieglais• Stanley & Gail Watkins• Ann & Bob Whitcomb• John & Janet Williams• Henry Wise• Zachary’s Jewelers

Friend: $35-$99• Meredith Adams• Charles Bangert• Rich & Lori Batdorf• Robert Baugh• Susan Benac• Shelley Bond• Kevin Brooks• Robert & Linda Buckley• Dennis Burton• Anthony & Nancy Calabrese• Donald Cebulski

• Robert Church• Jeff Colburn• Donna & David Corddry• Kevin Costello• Arthur Croucher• Seth Dabney• Curtis Dalpra• Trish Davis• Laurent Deschamps• Richard Diller• Helene Elmquist• Joel Engelstein• Donald Erickson• Exelon Foundation• Stephen Faust• Rebecca & Ronald Fisher• Michael Garner• Marc Greenspan• Britt & Diana Griswold• Carl & Anita Gutschick• Fred Hall• Susan & Paul Hansen• Carolyn Hill• Sally G. Hornor• G. Maria Jacobs• Judy Jaudon• Jessica Johns• Lee Johnson• Michael Kaiser• Kenneth & Lisa Karsten• Douglas Kearney• Aaron Keel• Phelps Kelley• Frederick Kennedy• Alice Kimball• Priscilla Kluckhuhn• Jon Korin• Timothy La Valle• Mary Beth Lengyel• Lauren Maddox• Velena Madorsky• Michael Malone• Suzanne Martin• Michael Matton• Michael McCormick• Carroll McGillin-Greve• Kimberly McGrath• John McLaughlin• Margaret McNutt

Patron: $1,000-$4,999• Jason Frankl• James Harmon

Harmon Foundation, Inc.• Nancy Merrill

Merrill Foundation, Inc.• Oyster Recovery Partnership• Brendan & Lila Sullivan, Jr. • Bob & Lorraine vom Saal• Waterkeepers

Chesapeake, Inc.

Benefactor: $250-$499• Cristina Argeles• Alison Burbage• John Detweiler• Lucie Lehmann• Charlotte Lubbert• Daniel Mellin

Hilman, Brown and Darrow• Elizabeth Ramirez

Wimsey Cove Framing & Art• Leslie Tilghman• Eloise Ullman• Union Jack’s British Pub• Mark Young & Rachel Carren

Leader: $500-$999• Bay Ridge Wine

and Spirits• David Switzer• Kenneth Van Hooijdonk• Lee Meadows• Lynne Rockenbauch• John Wright

• Pamela Moats• John Morris• Mary Morris• John Morrison• Henry Mortimer• James Mumper• Elizabeth Munz• Mike & Meg Nagy• Helen Neville• Jill Petit• Ashton Poole• Christin Poulsen• Alice Randall• Ashley Raymond• Clark Reddick• John Rentch• Sue Ricciardi• Beverly Ripley• Del & Joanne Ritchie• Kenneth Rose• Joyce Rosencranz• Deborah Rubin• Walt Rybeck• Sailor Oyster Bar• Neil Schwartz• Audrey Shade• Jay Shank• Ted Sheils• John & Lisa Sherwood III• Margery Silverton

& Steve Johnson• Esther Slaff• Gail Smith• Ann & Rudolph Stewart• Margaret Jane Talbot• Sara Thompson• Richard & Maureen Turman• Terry Ullman• Mary Vickery• Robert Waldman• Lisa Weber, Jr.• Bruce Weddle• John Whiteford,• Loveta Wilen

Annapolis Wedding Chapel• Melvin Wilkins

EcoGardens, LLC• Kathleen Wilson• Marsha Wise

Severn River Society: $5,000+Severn River Society members are our leadership supporters who have demon- strated an ongoing commitment to safe-guarding our beloved Severn River.

• The Brick Companies Foundation• Crosby Marketing Communications• Delaplaine Foundation• Ted Delaplaine & Todd Wilson• Mary Ann & Walter D. Pinkard, Jr.• BG&E • Anonymous (2)

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• Robert Church• Jeff Colburn

Chesapeake, Inc.

Severn River AssociationP.O. Box 146 l Annapolis, Maryland 21404

Phone: 443-569-3556Email: info@SevernRiver.org

Website: SevernRiver.org

The Severn River Association is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 52-1827749) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

MEMBER COMMUNITIES• Admiral Heights Improvement Association• Annapolis Cove Community Association• Annapolis Neck Peninsula Federation• Annapolis Roads Property Owners Association• Arden Civic Association• Arnold Preservation Council• Arundel On The Bay Property Owners Association• Back Creek Conservancy• Bay Highlands Community Association• Bayberry Hills Property Association• Belleview Estates Community Association• Belvoir Farms Homeowners Association• Ben Oaks Civic Association• Bluff Point Community Association• Boucher Landing Homeowners Association• Burley Creek Community Association• Bywater Church & Crab Creek Association• Carrollton Manor Improvement Association• Cedar Ridge Homes Association• Chartwell Garden Club• Colchester Community Association• Downs Property Owners Association• Dreams Landing Condominiums• East Pendennis Mount Community Association• Eastport Civic Association• Eastport Yacht Club• Fairwinds Beach Club, Inc.• Ferry Farms Improvement Association• Generals Highway Council Of Civic Association• Glen Oban Association, Inc.• Greater Severna Park Council• Hawkins Cove HOA• Herald Harbor Citizens Association• Hidden Point Road Association• Holly Point Community Association• Hollyberry Garden Club• Hollywood On The Severn

Improvement Association

• Indian Hills Community Association• Indian Landing Community Association• Kensington Community Association• Kilmarnock Homeowners Association• Lake Forest Community Association• Lindamoor Improvement Association• Linstead Community Association• Long Point On The Severn Civic Association• Maynadier Homeowners Association• Meadows Residents Association• Murray Hill Residents Association• Olde Severna Park Improvement Association• Oyster Harbor Citizens Association• Palisades, Civic Association of• Pines Community Improvement Association• Point Field Landing Community• Providence Club• Riverview Manor Community Association• Round Bay Community Association• Rugby Hall Community Association• Saefern Saddle & Yacht Club• Saltworks On Severn Citizens Association• Severn Heights Improvement Association• Severn View Homeowners Association• Severna Forest Community Association• Sherwood Forest Club, Inc.• Shipley’s Choice Community Association• Shipley’s Choice Homeowners Association• Spa Creek Conservancy• Trollhaven Homeowners Association• Truxton Heights Residents Association• Unitarian Universalist Church, Annapolis• West Annapolis Civic Association• West Severna Park Community Association• Whitehall Bay Conservancy• Whitney’s Landing Community Association• Winchester on The Severn Association

Cover Photo: Jim Lodico with Chesapeake Aerial PhotographyJim@chesapeakeaerialphoto.com