Print This Page

Eyes on the Bay

Water Quality Mapping Reveals Salinity Reversal in Severn & Magothy Rivers
Water quality mapping data reveals an interesting pattern in salinity for the Severn and Magothy Rivers in 2001 and 2002. During springtime high flows, greater volumes of freshwater are released from the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River. Approximately ten days after these higher freshwater releases, the freshwater is observed infiltrating into the mouths of the Magothy and Severn, resulting in a horizontal salinity inversion (higher salinities upstream than downstream). This phenomena could harm living resources, such as yellow perch, by constricting their habitat ranges upriver, making them more susceptible to mortality.