Spa
Creek Conservancy initiatives focus on developing and implementing
restoration and protection programs as well as community educational
programs. Past and ongoing projects include:
- Clean Up Under Spa Creek Bridge with Annapolis Yacht Club
- Rain Gardens at Heritage Baptist Church
- General Creek Shoreline Clean-Up
- Project Clean Stream
- Lincoln Drive Rain Garden
- Rain gardens
- Riparian Forest Clean-Up
- Invasive Species Eradication
- Spa Creek Data Collection
- Amos Garrett Park Restoration Project
- Rain Barrels Lessons & Sales
Clean Up Under Spa Creek Bridge with AYC
The Annapolis Yacht Club is going green and the Conservancy is pleased to be a partner with the Club in this initiative.
The Club has a number of environmental initiatives underway, and it kicked off its public action in this area by declaring a volunteer work day to remove unsightly litter from the State Highway Administration right of way under the Spa Creek Bridge. The clean up project was conducted jointly with the Conservancy on June 28, 2008, with some 20-30 volunteers.
Annapolis Yacht Club’s property straddles the eastern side of the bridge, but approximately 15 feet on either side belong to the Maryland State Highway Administration. That area is a mini living shoreline where native grasses are growing. However, over the course of the years, litter and trash had accumulated. Read more and see the photos ...
Rain Gardens at Heritage Baptist Church
On June 14, 2008, the Conservancy joined with Heritage Baptist Church, 1740 Forest Drive, to plant shrubs and other plants in seven rain gardens on church property. The church to filter storm water runoff coming from Forest Drive and the church's parking lot, near the Creek’s origin. More than 50 volunteers -- Conservancy members and Church members -- worked together to plant over 1300 shrubs in one morning. Trees will be planted in the fall. This major initiative, representing over $100,000 in materials and labor on Church property, is being funded by a grant awarded to the Conservancy by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Read more and see the photos ...
Lincoln Drive Rain Garden
The rain garden was planted on April 21, 2007, by a group of volunteers from the Lincoln Drive neighborhood, the Spa Creek Conservancy, the South River Federation, and other community minded citizens from other parts of the city. The native plants bloomed and prospered all summer (thanks to volunteers who kept them watered) and the entire neighborhood saw just how beautiful a 
rain garden can be. Even more important, the rain garden filters stormwater runoff from the Chinquapin Industrial Park's many driveways, roof tops, parking lots and streets. The water that flows into the rain garden makes its way to a large culvert which forms the origin of Spa Creek. Now that water is filtered and the creek will be off to a better, cleaner start. The Center for Watershed Protection predicts a reduction of at least 38 percent in undesirable phosphorous entering the creek after completion!
This project exemplifies the partnering of funding public trusts, local government, citizen volunteer environmental organizations, communities, and environmentally sensitive businesses -- all at no direct cost to the taxpayer. This model must be used many times over if we are to save and protect our precious watersheds, and the Bay. Read more...
Rain Gardens and Nature Trail
Rain
gardens use plants, soils, and soil dwelling organisms to naturally
remove pollutants from stormwater. Gardens built with native Maryland
plants require no fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides to flourish
in the local ecosystem. Built in low lying areas, rain gardens naturally
filter runoff, reducing stormwater pollution from entering Spa Creek.
Rain gardens have been built near the Weems-Whalem and Bates Middle School athletic complex and at the street entrance to the Chesapeake Children's Museum. In addition, an interpretive nature trail was created by the Conservancy with plant signage and three education plaques showing a riparian forest, estuarine wetlands and Spa Creek flow and interaction with the Chesapeake Bay. These projects were funded through Chesapeake Bay Trust and built in partnership with Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Conservation Corps, and the City of Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department.
Riparian Forest Clean-Up
Over the past two years several creek and woodland clean up days have been held. Several tons of debris have been pulled from the creek and its banks. The junk has ranged from auto engines to refrigerators. This activity is in its early stages and has only covered about 150 feet of the creek. Two areas of the creek were used as dump sites by the City before the environment became a concern to the community. The clean-up will go on for many years.
Invasive Species Eradication
In
partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and
the Chesapeake Children's Museum, SCC is in its second year of a
multiyear program to eradicate the Phragmites infestation that is
choking the headwaters estuarine wetlands area of the creek where
the non-tidal stream meets the tidal creek. In the past two years
SCC has cleared over an acre. In 2004, more than 150 United States
Naval Academy Midshipmen volunteered to clear another three acres.
The cleared area from 2001 has started to reestablish itself with
native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and wetlands plants. Future
projects will include the massive planting of native grasses, shrubs,
trees, and herbaceous wetland plants.
Spa Creek Data Collection Project
In collaboration with the EPA, scientists are pulling together existing water quality data and maps in order to conduct a preliminary assessment of the status of the streams and tidal portions of Spa Creek. Future goals include the development of a Restoration and Management Plan and the implementation of a water quality monitoring system.
Amos Garrett Park Restoration Project
The
Chesapeake Bay Trust awarded the Spa Creek Conservancy a $24,449
grant for a shoreline restoration project at the Amos Garrett Park
in the Murray Hill section of Annapolis. The Amos Garrett Park shoreline
restoration project is a Spa Creek Conservancy joint venture with
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, City of Annapolis (Annapolis
Environmental Commission), Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), Murray
Hill Residents Association, and the Ward One Residents Association.
The Amos Garrett Park is an end of the street pocket urban park whose shoreline has severely deteriorated over the years. The park is subject to extensive erosion from lack of vegetation, poor soils, boat wake energy, storm water runoff and storm drain design. The park grounds have compacted to such a state as to represent an impervious surface. The project team goals are to restore the shoreline, create wildlife habitat, and rehabilitate portions of the park grounds with native plantings. The major project benefits will be improved quality of the water entering Spa Creek and the Chesapeake Bay and habitat restoration of important Chesapeake Bay living resources in Spa Creek.
The
Spa Creek Conservancy and its partners hope that this project will
serve as a model to others along the creek and in the watershed,
demonstrating the benefits of using natural vegetation as a shoreline
stabilizer. The positive impacts of this project will include; reducing
runoff, stabilizing erosion, creating habitat, and creating an aesthetically
pleasing ecosystem. Further benefits to be expected are pollutant
and nutrient filtering, as well as, community education. Since the
location of this project is on public property, it will provide
the partners with a unique opportunity to highlight environmentally
sound land use practices to other municipalities, communities and
homeowners dealing with urban streams.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, as the technical leader of the project, held a Demonstration Day on Saturday, July 24, 2004, during the actual restoration process. Coconut fiber Biolog installations and vegetation planting techniques were demonstrated by scientists and "hands on" volunteers. Check out the restoration conceptual plan.
Local community groups bordering the creek and individual waterfront homeowners are invited to see how the project is being implemented. Literature is available to interested parties on the installation techniques, permit processes, and sources of vegetation, as follows:
- Bay-friendly Resource List for Shorelines
- City Planning Office contacts
- Native plants for shorelines
- Permit process for shorelines
- Planting zone detail
- Wetlands permit process flow chart
- Cost estimating
See our Photo Gallery for photos of SSC volunteers working on the restoration of Amos Garrett Park.
Rain Barrels
The Conservancy's goal is to encourage homeowners and business owners to install rain barrels on their properties to catch storm water from rooftops. We'd like to see a rain barrel under every downspout!
Catching quickly flowing water in rain barrels and slowing down its release via soaker hoses in the garden keeps our Creek and the Chesapeake Bay cleaner. We need Good Creek Neighbors to get the word out on their blocks and at their street ends.
The Conservancy will help you host a short gathering at your home or business to discuss the importance of rain barrels and how easy it is to install them. We'll show you how.
We can have rain barrels on hand to sell on the spot or you can order for later pick-up.
Contact us at rainbarrels@spacreek.org to volunteer or for more information..
Be a Good Creek Neighbor. Help us save the Creek one rain barrel at a time!