Nanticoke and Sassafras River report cards released

The two final tributary report cards to be released this year are from the Nanticoke and Sassafras Rivers. Both of these report cards are the first ever for their respective rivers, and are designed to look at the overall ecosystem health of their watersheds while also engaging local residents and helping them to better understand their river systems. Both rivers received passing scores, with the Nanticoke River receiving a final grade of B-minus, and the Sassafras River a grade of B. While those scores indicate that most water quality indicators met desired levels, there is still room for improvement. In particular, the Nanticoke scores showed a need for nitrogen reduction, and the Sassafras scores indicate that poor water clarity and high phosphate levels were problems of concern in 2009.

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