Back River is a tidal

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

in Baltimore County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, located about east of the city of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. The estuary extends from

Essex, Maryland Essex is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Essex history dates back to 1909. The population was 40,505 in the 2020 ...

, southeast for about U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 to the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

. The watershed area is and includes Essex Skypark Airport and the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant.Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Baltimore, MD (2005)
"Total Maximum Daily Loads of Nitrogen and Phosphorus for Back River in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, Maryland."
The river is shared between Essex, MD, Dundalk, MD, and Edgemere, MD

Water quality

Fishing at Back River Near the Sewage Plant - NARA - 546940 color-adj1

Back River is in a highly urbanized area and is subject to extensive

urban runoff Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater, landscape irrigation, and car washing created by urbanization. Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots and sidewalks) are constructed during land development. During rain, storms, and other Precipitati ...

and other forms of

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of Body of water, water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and ...

. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has listed water quality impairments in the mainstem river for

chlordane Chlordane, or chlordan, is an organochlorine compound that was used as a pesticide. It is a white solid. In the United States, chlordane was used for termite-treatment of approximately 30 million homes until it was banned in 1988. Chlordane was b ...

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are used to control pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for approximately 50% of all p ...

), and nutrients (

nitrogen Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...

and

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...

). The Herring Run tributary is listed as impaired due to high levels of

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

. The Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management (DEPRM) has classified Bread and Cheese Creek as having a “Very High Priority” for

stormwater Stormwater, also written storm water, is water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow. Stormwater can soak into the soil ( infiltrate) and become groundwater, be stored on depressed lan ...

management actions, due to the large amount of trash and sediment found in it. The county recommends implementing a number of remedial activities to control

pollution, including " downspout disconnection,

storm drain A storm drain, storm sewer (United Kingdom, U.S. and Canada), highway drain, surface water drain/sewer (United Kingdom), or stormwater drain (Australia and New Zealand) is infrastructure designed to drain excess rain and ground water from i ...

marking,

buffer Buffer may refer to: Science * Buffer gas, an inert or nonflammable gas * Buffer solution, a solution used to prevent changes in pH * Lysis buffer, in cell biology * Metal ion buffer * Mineral redox buffer, in geology Technology and engineeri ...

improvement,

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

retrofit, street sweeping, tree planting and public education."Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management (DEPRM), Towson, MD (2010)
"Tidal Back River Small Watershed Action Plan."
February 2010. Back River receives discharges of treated sewage from the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of two large treatment plants that serve Baltimore City and Baltimore County. The plant contributes to treating 132 million gallons of waste water from the city of Baltimore every day. In 2021, water samples in Back River showed signs of high levels of bacteria. Adjustments were made to the plants treatment system under the Headworks Project in 2021, which costed approximately 430 million dollars and which allowed for underground storage of wastewater that could not currently handled. The plant is designed to meet state and federal standards, but occasionally the city sewage collection system experiences

sanitary sewer overflow Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is a condition in which untreated sewage is discharged from a sanitary sewer into the environment prior to reaching sewage treatment facilities. When caused by rainfall it is also known as wet weather overflow. Cause ...

s (SSOs) during large rainstorms, which can cause excessive pollutant discharges into the river. The plant has also experienced severe staffing shortages and persistent repair and maintenance issues since 2019, which can lead to sewage spills and leaks. Issues at the plant were again discovered in 2022, when the river showed high levels of bacteria. Advisories were published to have locals avoid contact with the water. State inspectors found a general lack of maintenance of the plant; specifically, pumps and tanks were clogged with solid buildup and vegetation. Plants known as phragmites grew in secondary clarifiers, further jamming the treatment process. In 2022 MDE ordered that the Maryland Environmental Service (MES, a non-profit environmental management company established by the

Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives, and the lower ...

) would temporarily take control of the Back River plant, overseeing operations, maintenance, and plant improvements. After a lawsuit was filed in 2022 against Baltimore City by the MDE and Blue Water Baltimore, a settlement was reached in 2023, requiring a fee of $4.75 million to be paid as well as the creation of a timeline of changes moving forward. Although improvements have been made to the plant, a major overflow of Back River plant in 2024 led to the overflow of 14 million gallons of untreated water into the local area. Restoration efforts continue, with Maryland governor

Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, businessman, author, and former U.S. Army officer serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since 2023. Moore was born in Maryland and raised primarily in New York. ...

allotting $600 million in his 2026 fiscal year budget for the upgrades to Maryland's wastewater issues. Approximately, $80,000 has also been put forward to continuous monitoring of Back River. In 2025 MDE awarded grants to make further improvements to the Back River plant, and to install a trash interceptor on the river.

Tributaries

The Back River watershed consists of of streams in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.DEPRM
"Back River Watershed."
June 3, 2010. * Armistead Run * Biddison Run * Bread and Cheese Creek * Brien’s Run * Chinquapin Run * Deep Creek * Duck Creek * Herring Run * Moore’s Run * Northeast Creek * Redhouse Run * Stemmers Run * Tiffany Run

References

* United States Geological Survey. Reston, VA
"Back River."
''

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

(GNIS).'' Accessed 2009-08-28.

External links

Back River Restoration Committee

Clean Bread and Cheese CreekBlue Water Baltimore, formed in 2010 from a merger of the Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Herring Run, and Baltimore Harbor Watershed Associations, and the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper
{{authority control Rivers of Baltimore County, Maryland Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay Rivers of Maryland

Water quality

Tributaries

See also

References

External links