Musseling Back from the Brink

Time for some good news for a change. The Magothy River has been showing dramatic improvements in visibility over the course of the past several years, and it's been doing it the old-fashioned way, with native bivalves. Dark false mussels and native oysters (which have been supplemented by the Magothy River Federation (MRF) and others) have filtered the River to such an extent that it is registering record-low levels of suspended solids in the water. According to MRF president, Paul Spadaro, in places where visibility was once 6 inches, he can now see down 5 to 10 feet at times. The increased water clarity is all the more surprising given that years with big rainfall, like we've had recently, generally contribute more sediment and particulates to the water.

Let's hear it for the native mussels, and those like the Magothy River Federation, who are doing their respective parts to clean up the River and improve the health of our environment.