Gunpowder Riverkeeper is proud to provide up-to-date water quality information to residents of Baltimore and Harford counties along the Gunpowder and Bush River Watersheds.
In partnership with Community Environmental Laboratories, an EPA-certified water testing laboratory located in Harford County, we now have the capacity to sample various access points along the river on a regular basis. Our water monitoring results help inform the public on where they can recreate safely along the River.
Our mission is to champion the enforcement and compliance of environmental laws to ensure fishable, swimmable, drinkable water throughout the Gunpowder and Bush Rivers and their Watersheds. Through our water quality monitoring, we’re gaining more knowledge on E. Coli bacteria levels across the Watersheds to protect waterways and the public who benefit by using these in a protected state.
The EPA’s Safe Swimming Criteria for Maximum Probable number of E. Coli is 126 MPN (geometric mean) and 235 MPN (single sample).
On May 12th, we sampled Foster’s Branch, Town Creek and the point at Mariner’s Point Park. Our samples showed that all three locations were under EPA Safe Swimming Criteria with the highest reading at Town Creek with 110 MPN. Foster’s Branch was the lowest reading at 13 MPN. The sample from Town Creek reported 30 MPN for E. Coli.
We’re looking forward to continuing sampling, and providing the public with sampling results from the Health Department’s of Baltimore and Harford Counties to share this important information about bacteria risks.
For additional water quality monitoring in the Gunpowder, Little Gunpowder, Bird and Bush Watersheds:
Harford County Health Department Recreational Water Sampling