Patapsco River
The Patapsco River Watershed is located in the southwestern portion of Baltimore County. It is bounded by the Liberty Reservoir and Carroll County line to the north, the Patapsco River and Howard County line to the west, and the Anne Arundel and Baltimore City line to the south. The watershed includes the communities of Catonsville, Arbutus, and Halethorpe. It also includes UMBC, Catonsville Community College, and the Patapsco Valley State Park.
While the Patapsco River is a minor river for most of its length, its last 10 miles are a large tidal estuary inlet of Chesapeake Bay. The tidal area of the Patapsco, comprised of the Northwest Harbor and Middle Branch, is crossed by the Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry Tunnels as well as the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The watershed is home to Patapsco Valley State Park which extends along 32 miles of the Patapsco River, encompassing 14,000 acres and five developed recreational areas. Recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback and mountain bike trails, as well as picnicking for individuals or large groups in the park's many popular pavilions. The watershed provides good habitat for many species of fish including smallmouth bass, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, hog suckers and white suckers.
Small Watershed Action Plan (SWAP)
A SWAP is currently under development for the lower portion of the Patapsco River watershed. This plan covers the area from Catonsville to Arbutus. Three public stakeholder meetings offer community members an opportunity to get involved in their watershed. Download this resource guide (PDF) which includes hyperlinks to several citizen friendly web sites. The final SWAP report will be posted in the spring of 2012 on this web page.
Presentations from the second SWAP meeting - October 25, 2011
- County Capital Improvement Projects (PDF) - Review some of the County's Restoration projects in the Lower Patapsco watershed.
- Watershed Assessment (PDF) - View the results from the field assessments in the Lower Patapsco watershed.
Presentations from the third SWAP meeting - February 28, 2012
- SWAP Summary (PDF) - Review a summary of the SWAP.
- SWAP Actions (PDF) - Learn details about some of the recommended actions from the SWAP.
Volunteer
To participate in watershed activities contact your local watershed association. For the Patapsco River watershed contact the Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway.
Contact Information
Watershed Management Program
Phone: 410-887-5683
Fax: 410-887-3510
E-mail: watersheds@baltimorecountymd.gov
Revised March 15, 2012
