Waterfront Homeowners Guide

Once they enter the storm drain system, hazardous chemicals end up in the Bay, harming fish, birds, and other wildlife. Always take toxic household and yard products to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day. Click here from more information and schedule.

As a waterfront property owner you undoubtedly want to protect your investment and its unique shoreline environment. Protecting a shoreline from accelerated erosion without installing a seawall or bulkhead, can be challenging, but there are alternatives to seawalls. There are many techniques available to address shoreline erosion while supporting the ecosystem and protecting your property. Each site is unique and therefore generally requires a customized solution using a variety of different methods. Understanding shoreline erosion and developing solutions can be very simple or complex depending on the site characteristics.

Characterizing your site starts with simply observing the conditions on and around your property. In many cases you will need the assistance of a professional to complete the assessment which will provide an understanding of the interactions between coastal, geologic, and ecological processes at a site. A thorough assessment of your site is the first step towards protecting both your property and the environment and will allow you to better understand the opportunities and constraints of your property.  This step allows you to determine if action is required, and if so, which approaches will be the most effective.

To learn more about "living shorelines," a design approach that both protects property and preserves the natural values of the tidal interface, visit MD DNR's "Living Shoreline" page.

Yes, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has some fund available for eligible shoreline projects through its Shoreline Conservation Service Loan Program: https://dnr.maryland.gov/ccs/Pages/livingshorelines.aspx . Community or HOA living shoreline projects may also be eligible for Anne Arundel County Restoration Grant funding if they meet qualifying conditions. More information on that program can be found here.

Yes, the MD Department of the Environment (MDE) handles bulkhead and shoreline permitting, and more details can be found here. 

Some waterfront homeowners in Anne Arundel County utilize a septic system, although some communities have converted to public sanitary sewer systems. Owners of private septic systems have a responsibility to protect their family’s health, as well as to protect the surface and groundwater from contamination.

Properly functioning systems are designed to remove most disease-causing human pathogens, but generally are NOT designed to remove or treat water-soluble nutrients or pollutants. The more water and material that goes into your septic system, the more that comes out into your drain field. Recent research on septic systems located in sandy soils has found both phosphorus and nitrates migrated underground over 150 feet from drain fields. If these nutrients seep underground into the lake, aquatic plant growth and algae blooms are likely results. 

Malfunctioning systems are especially harmful. Effluent from failed systems can result in direct contamination of well or surface water and could cause serious human health risks. Reasons for septic system failure may include advanced age, overloading, poor site placement and/or poor maintenance.

EVIDENCE OF A MALFUNCTIONING SEPTIC SYSTEM:
- Sewage backing up in the basement or drains.
- Ponded water or wet areas over the drain field.
- Bright green grass over the drain field.
- A dense stand of aquatic plants along only your shoreline.
- Sewage odors.
- Bacteria or nitrate in nearby well water.

 

If you're interested in upgrading your existing waterfront septic system to a less polluting alternative, the Anne Arundel Health Department has grants to assist with that work.

Many activities we conduct near the waterfront, in our lawns and gardens and around our home, impact water quality.  These activities are even more critical to waterfront homeowners because runoff doesn't have far to travel before reaching the water. When it rains or the snow melts, the water runs off streets, driveways, rooftops and lawns across the landscape and picks up various pollutants like oils, greases, nutrients, fertilizers and sediment. Impervious surfaces speed up the flow of runoff from the landscape and prevent water from soaking into the ground where it can be naturally cleansed by microorganisms that live in the soil.

Solution: Address runoff before it leaves your property. Better yet, keep water on your property for use in areas such as your garden.  Redirect downspouts away from hard, paved surfaces into vegetated areas, such as a rain garden, or into a rain barrel for later use in the garden. Rain gardens are growing in popularity because they look great and filter pollutants out of runoff allowing clean water to infiltrate and replenish groundwater supplies. Use porous landscaping materials, such as brick paving stones, sand or gravel beds and mulched areas, allowing spaces where water can infiltrate around and through the materials.

The key to successfully managing rain on your property is to Slow it down, Spread it out, Soak it up.  For some simple (and beautiful) ways you can capture stormwater visit the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards for ideas. 

If you have native vegetation along your shoreline, consider yourself and the local wildlife fortunate. A mature native buffer represents many years of nature at work and discourages undesirable, exotic plants and animals while attracting songbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

If you have lawn to the water’s edge, a simple, no-cost way to get started in restoring your shoreline is to stop mowing next to the water. Seeds in the soil will germinate and valuable native plants will begin to reappear. If you have lawn to the water’s edge and would like to play a more active role in restoring your shoreline, you can replant native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers to attract songbirds and butterflies. The main area where water runs off your property is the best location to start planting to improve water quality. You can create a natural, appealing waterfront landscape while eliminating expensive and time-consuming lawn care. 

Natural shorelines contain a lush mixture of native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees that help to filter polluted runoff and provide important habitat for animals in the water and on the land. The trees, shrubs and plants not only help shelter and create privacy for the homeowner, but may also act as a noise buffer. Larger areas of natural shoreline provide more benefits. However, any amount of natural shoreline is better than none.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has produced the "Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping" native plant guide specific to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.