In his September 2nd article in The Bay Journal, “Pollution from development still flowing into Gunpowder River” Tim Wheeler discusses the ongoing sedimentation into Foster Branch from the D.R. Horton development upstream, despite the settlement in May to hold the polluters accountable.
Wheeler states,
This wasn’t supposed to keep happening. State officials had said the resolution of the Ridgely’s Reserve lawsuit would halt the long-running pollution and set the stage for rehabilitating the Foster Branch and the Gunpowder.
Harford county has regularly inspected the site, levied fines, and issued stop-work orders in order to ensure that problems cited were fixed. The consent decree, which would fine the developers $1,000 – $6,000 per day for problems identified by state inspectors, is managed by the state, not the county. No fines have been levied as of September 2 for violations in 2026.
Tim Wheeler references Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®’s Theaux Le Gardeur who calls this “a missed opportunity” to collect money that could be used to help protect and restore local waterways.
Thanks to Tim Wheeler and The Bay Journal for this continued coverage of this ongoing issue that affects critical nursery grounds for crabs and 26 species of finfish that use the Gunpowder Tidal Basin for spawning habitat in the Chesapeake Bay.
For more information about how sediment pollution affects water quality, check out our blogpost on the importance of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation.
For anyone who wants to get out and help monitor the aquatic plants that the sediment effects, check out our blogpost for our upcoming SAV Watchers Training and sign up for a free ticket to RSVP.
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