Magothy River
Encyclopedia
The Magothy River runs 12.1 miles (19.5 km) through Anne Arundel County
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. It is located south of the Patapsco River
and north of the Severn River
. The Little Magothy River
is considered part of the Magothy watershed, even though the mouth of the Little Magothy is outside the mouth of the Magothy.
with a watershed area (including the water surface) of 44 square miles (114 km²), or 35 square miles (90.6 km²) of land. Thus, its total watershed area is 20% water. It starts in Anne Arundel County in Severna Park
, and flows into Chesapeake Bay
next to Gibson Island. It is probably best known among recreational boaters for the popular anchorage behind Dobbins Island. Its navigable tidal portion is crossed by one bridge, located on Magothy Bridge Road in Pasadena
. Its upper, nontidal portion is called Magothy Branch, and is dammed at MD 648 (Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard)
to form Lake Waterford (there was an old mill dam at the same site). Some of the creeks on its south shore drain highly developed portions of Severna Park and Arnold
, especially North Cypress Creek, which drains much of the Park Plaza and Giant
shopping centers along Ritchie Highway
north of McKinsey Road.
The Baltimore Light Station
marks the mouth of the river.
of mosquitoes in the area.
seaplane
base. Today this organization concentrates on issues concerning land use
, water quality monitoring, fish habitat and reforestation programs. Volunteer scientific divers assist with the restoration and management of underwater grasses and oyster
habitats.
There are nine creeks along the Upper Magothy River. None of them are navigable so none are shown on any published maps, except the map produced by the Magothy River Association. All have historical names except where noted.
North shore, upriver to downriver:
South shore, upriver to downriver:
From Cockey and Old Man creeks downriver, most of the creeks and coves are navigable. Thus, most of them have names on published maps, since they have been named for longer.
On the north shore, from upriver to downriver, the navigable, named creeks and tidal ponds are:
On the south shore, from upriver to downriver, the navigable, named creeks and tidal ponds are:
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It is located south of the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
and north of the Severn River
Severn River (Maryland)
The Severn River runs through Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located south of the Magothy River, and north of the South River.-Geography:...
. The Little Magothy River
Little Magothy River
The Little Magothy River runs through Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located southeast of the Magothy River, just outside its mouth but considered part of the same watershed, and north of the Severn River....
is considered part of the Magothy watershed, even though the mouth of the Little Magothy is outside the mouth of the Magothy.
Description
The Magothy is a relatively small, mostly tidal riverTidal river
A tidal river is a river, or more typically a stretch of a river, whose flow and level is influenced by tides. An example of a tidal river is the portion of the Connecticut River flowing from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, to the Atlantic Ocean. The Brisbane River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean...
with a watershed area (including the water surface) of 44 square miles (114 km²), or 35 square miles (90.6 km²) of land. Thus, its total watershed area is 20% water. It starts in Anne Arundel County in Severna Park
Severna Park, Maryland
Severna Park is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 28,507 at the 2000 census.-History:Robinson House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.-Geography:...
, and flows into Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
next to Gibson Island. It is probably best known among recreational boaters for the popular anchorage behind Dobbins Island. Its navigable tidal portion is crossed by one bridge, located on Magothy Bridge Road in Pasadena
Pasadena, Maryland
Pasadena is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,093 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pasadena is located at ....
. Its upper, nontidal portion is called Magothy Branch, and is dammed at MD 648 (Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard)
Maryland Route 648
Maryland Route 648 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of Baltimore–Annapolis Boulevard, the old alignment of MD 2 between Annapolis and Glen Burnie. These segments were bypassed when MD 2 was moved to Governor Ritchie Highway, a...
to form Lake Waterford (there was an old mill dam at the same site). Some of the creeks on its south shore drain highly developed portions of Severna Park and Arnold
Arnold, Maryland
Arnold is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 23,422 at the 2000 census. Neighborhoods straddle College Parkway and Ritchie Highway. Arnold is located on the scenic Broadneck peninsula...
, especially North Cypress Creek, which drains much of the Park Plaza and Giant
Giant Food of Landover, Maryland
Giant Food LLC is a supermarket chain with 202 stores in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.. It is headquartered in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, near Landover. Giant often is known as Giant-Landover to avoid confusion with sibling company Giant-Carlisle...
shopping centers along Ritchie Highway
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
north of McKinsey Road.
The Baltimore Light Station
Baltimore Light Station
The Baltimore Harbor Light is a privately-owned caisson lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. First lit in 1908, it sits at the mouth of the Magothy River, marking the channel which leads northwest to the opening of the Patapsco River, which then leads into the Baltimore harbor...
marks the mouth of the river.
Etymology
The river was originally called "Magoty River" or "Maggotty River", possibly for the larvaeLarvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
of mosquitoes in the area.
Magothy River Association
In 1946, the Magothy River Association (MRA) was formed by the residents to prevent the river from becoming a NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
base. Today this organization concentrates on issues concerning land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
, water quality monitoring, fish habitat and reforestation programs. Volunteer scientific divers assist with the restoration and management of underwater grasses and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
habitats.
Water quality
The aquatic health of the Magothy River has been declining in recent years. In 2008 the river was given a health rating of 30%, down from 42% in 2007 and 65% in 2004. The river's overall health score was determined by three contributing factors: underwater grasses, water clarity, and dissolved oxygen. The Magothy scored below par in all three of these categories, the worst of which being the underwater grasses. The Magothy had 90 acre (0.3642174 km²) of underwater grass mapped in 2008, achieving only 15% of the goal of 579 acres (2.3 km²). The water clarity status in 2008 was only slightly better than SAV status, with 19% of measurements exceeding the 0.97 meter depth which allows underwater grasses enough sunlight to grow, down from 44% in 2007. The Magothy scored the best in 2008 for dissolved oxygen; 55% of measurements exceeded its goal of 5 milligrams per liter, down from 69% in 2007.Creeks and tidal coves
Almost all of the creeks and tidal coves on the Magothy are named, as the result of a project started in 2001 by the Magothy River Association, and funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. They are shown on this map produced as part of that project, and the major ones are shown on this topographic map.There are nine creeks along the Upper Magothy River. None of them are navigable so none are shown on any published maps, except the map produced by the Magothy River Association. All have historical names except where noted.
- Magothy Branch (nontidal upper Magothy, drains to Lake Waterford)
North shore, upriver to downriver:
- Muddy Run
- Bailys Branch
- Brookfield Branch (nearest community)
- Beachwood Branch (nearest community)
- Indian Village Branch (nearest community; mouth hard to see)
South shore, upriver to downriver:
- Kinder Branch (starts in Kinder Park, drains to Lake Waterford)
- Rouses Branch (also starts in Kinder Park and drains to Lake Waterford)
- Nannys Creek (mouth hard to see)
From Cockey and Old Man creeks downriver, most of the creeks and coves are navigable. Thus, most of them have names on published maps, since they have been named for longer.
On the north shore, from upriver to downriver, the navigable, named creeks and tidal ponds are:
- Cockey Creek
- Ross Cove
- Blackhole Creek
- Broad Creek
- Park Lake
- Park Creek
- Dobbins Pond
- Long Cove
- Grays Creek (with north & south branches)
- Cornfield Creek
- James Pond
- Redhouse Cove
On the south shore, from upriver to downriver, the navigable, named creeks and tidal ponds are:
- Old Man Creek
- Tar Hill Cove
- Cattail Creek (includes Cold Spring Cove)
- Cypress Creek (including North Cypress Creek and Browns Cove)
- Dividing Creek (includes Buckinghams Cove)
- Mill Creek
- Spriggs Pond
- Bohdal Pond
- Forked Creek (includes Cool Spring Cove)
- Scheides Cove
- Lake Placid
- Deep Creek
- Little Magothy RiverLittle Magothy RiverThe Little Magothy River runs through Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located southeast of the Magothy River, just outside its mouth but considered part of the same watershed, and north of the Severn River....