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Patuxent River: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 38°18′43″N 76°25′19″W / 38.31194°N 76.42194°W / 38.31194; -76.42194
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{{Short description|River in Maryland, United States}}
{{about|the river in Maryland|the river in Rhode Island|Pawtuxet River}}
{{about|the river in Maryland|the river in Rhode Island|Pawtuxet River}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox river
{{Infobox river
| name = Patuxent River
| name = Patuxent River
| name_native =
| name_native =
| name_native_lang =
| name_native_lang =
| name_other = <small>Patuxent tributary/Patuxent affluent</small>
| name_other = Patuxent tributary/Patuxent affluent
| name_etymology =
| name_etymology =
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = Patuxent.River.jpg
| image = Patuxent.River.jpg
| image_caption = Patuxent River near [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]]
| image_caption = Patuxent River near [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]]
| image_alt = A bridge over the Patuxent River
| map = Patuxent_River_Map.png
| map = Patuxent_River_Map.png
| map_size = 250
| map_size = 250
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<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[United States]]
| subdivision_name1 = United States
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Maryland]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Maryland]]
| subdivision_type5 = Cities
| subdivision_type5 = Major cities
| subdivision_name5 = [[Columbia, Maryland]], [[Laurel, Maryland]], [[Bowie, Maryland]], [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland]]
|subdivision_name5 = {{csv|[[Columbia, Maryland|Columbia]]|[[Laurel, Maryland|Laurel]]|[[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]]|[[Upper Marlboro, Maryland|Upper Marlboro]]}}
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length = {{convert|115|mi|km|abbr=on}}
| length = {{convert|115|mi|km|abbr=on}}
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<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 =
| source1 =
| source1_location = 2.3 miles southwest of [[Mount Airy, Maryland|Mount Airy]], [[Maryland]], [[United States]]
| source1_location = {{convert|2.3|mi|km|abbr=on}} southwest of [[Mount Airy, Maryland]], U.S.
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|39|20|55|N|77|10|39|W|display=inline}}
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|39|20|55|N|77|10|39|W|region:US-MD_type:river|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|823|ft|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|823|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
| mouth = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
| mouth_location = 2 mi. east of [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]], [[Maryland]], [[United States]]
| mouth_location = {{convert|2|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of [[Solomons, Maryland]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|38|18|43|N|76|25|19|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|38|18|43|N|76|25|19|W|region:US-MD_type:river|display=it}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|ft|abbr=on}}
| basin_size = {{convert|908|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| basin_size = {{convert|908|sqmi|abbr=on}}
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}}
}}


[[Image:Patuxent preserve outside.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Patuxent Wildlife Research Center]].]]
[[Image:Patuxent preserve outside.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Patuxent Wildlife Research Center]]]]


The '''Patuxent River''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[Chesapeake Bay]] in the state of [[Maryland]]. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the [[Potomac River]] to the west passing through [[Washington, D.C.]], the [[Patapsco River]] to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between the two. The {{convert|908|sqmi|km2|0|adj=on}} <ref>{{cite web
The '''Patuxent River''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[Chesapeake Bay]] in the state of [[Maryland]]. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the [[Potomac River]] to the west passing through [[Washington, D.C.]], the [[Patapsco River]] to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between the two. The {{convert|908|sqmi|km2|0|adj=on}} <ref>{{cite web
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==Geography==
==Geography==
The river source, {{convert|115|mi|km|0}} from the Chesapeake, is in the hills of the Maryland [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] near the intersection of four counties – [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard]], [[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick]], [[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery]] and [[Carroll County, Maryland|Carroll]], and only {{convert|0.6|mi}} from Parr's Spring, the source of the south fork of the [[Patapsco River]]. Flowing in a generally southeastward direction, the Patuxent crosses the urbanized corridor between [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] and [[Washington, D.C.]], and opens up into a navigable tidal [[estuary]] near the colonial seaport of [[Queen Anne, Prince George's County, Maryland|Queen Anne]] in [[Prince George's County, Maryland]], just southeast of [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]]. The river is bound by marshy bends for approximately 27 km from the community of Wayson's Corner down to the Hunting Creek confluence, finding the Chesapeake Bay {{convert|52|mi|km|0}} later. The fifty-two mile-long tidal [[estuary]] is never wider than {{convert|2.3|mi|km|1}}.
The river source, {{convert|115|mi|km|0}} from the Chesapeake, is in the hills of the Maryland [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] near the intersection of four counties – [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard]], [[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick]], [[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery]] and [[Carroll County, Maryland|Carroll]], and only {{convert|0.6|mi}} from Parr's Spring, the source of the south fork of the [[Patapsco River]]. Flowing in a generally southeastward direction, the Patuxent crosses the urbanized corridor between [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] and [[Washington, D.C.]], and opens up into a navigable tidal [[estuary]] near the colonial seaport of [[Queen Anne, Prince George's County, Maryland|Queen Anne]] in [[Prince George's County, Maryland]], just southeast of [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]]. The river is bounded by significant marsh areas for {{convert|22|mi|km|0}} from the [[Waysons Corner, Maryland|Waysons Corner]] area to the Hunting Creek confluence. The {{convert|52|mi|km|0}}-long tidal [[estuary]] is never wider than {{convert|2.3|mi|km|1}}.


It marks the boundary between [[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery]], [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's]], [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles]] and [[Saint Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's]] counties on the west and [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard]], [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel]], and [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert]] counties on the east. The Chesapeake estuary's deepest point, {{convert|130|ft|m|0}} below sea level, is in the lower Patuxent.
It marks the boundary between [[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery]], [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's]], [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles]] and [[Saint Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's]] counties on the west and [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard]], [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel]], and [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert]] counties on the east. The Chesapeake estuary's deepest point, {{convert|130|ft|m|0}} below sea level, is in the lower Patuxent.


The two largest cities in the watershed are [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]] and [[Laurel, Maryland]]. There is a percentage of [[agricultural]] activity in the region as well. The mid and lower banks of the river have swamp and marshland [[ecosystems]]. Many of those ecosystems are protected by some form of parkland, on the state and local levels. The most notable of which include [[Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary]], Merkle Wetlands Sanctuary, and Patuxent River Park, along with many more. Farther north, there is the 20 square mile Patuxent Research Refuge, which helps to protect Patuxent River wildlife.
The two largest cities in the watershed are Bowie and [[Laurel, Maryland]]. There is a percentage of [[agricultural]] activity in the region as well. The mid and lower banks of the river have swamp and marshland [[ecosystems]]. Many of those ecosystems are protected by some form of parkland, on the state and local levels. The most notable of which include [[Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary]], [[Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and Visitor's Center|Merkle Wetlands Sanctuary]] in the [[Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and Visitor's Center|Edgar A. Merkle Wildlife Refuge]],<ref>Meyer, Eugene L., ''[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1984/08/18/the-legacy-of-edgar-merkle-canada-geese-on-the-patuxent/5d0683b9-3da9-41a6-aa57-6a15b4b7010a/ The Legacy of Edgar Merkle: Canada Geese on the Patuxent], The Washington Post, August 18, 1984 </ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20100815073135/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/merkle.asp Merkle Wildlife Refuge web site</ref> and [[Patuxent River Park]], along with many more. Farther north, there is the 20 square mile Patuxent Research Refuge, which helps to protect Patuxent River wildlife.


===Tributaries===
===Tributaries===
{{anchor|Western Branch}}The '''Little Patuxent River''', the '''Middle Patuxent River''', and the '''Western Branch''' are the three largest tributaries. The Middle Patuxent flows into the Little Patuxent just upstream from the historic [[Savage Mill]] in [[Savage, Maryland|Savage]]. The Little Patuxent then joins the Patuxent just southwest of [[Crofton, Maryland|Crofton]]. The Middle Patuxent flows {{convert|24|mi}} through the middle of Howard County, while the Little Patuxent flows {{convert|38|mi}} through northeast and southeast Howard County and western Anne Arundel County.<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed April 1, 2011</ref> Western Branch originates under the name Folly Branch in the Wingate Drive area of the northern part of [[Glenn Dale, Maryland|Glenn Dale]], assuming the name "Western Branch" in [[Woodmore, Maryland|Woodmore]], continuing southward through Prince George's County, joined by [[Collington Branch]] before it joins the Patuxent near [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland|Upper Marlboro]].
{{anchor|Western Branch}}The '''Little Patuxent River''', the '''Middle Patuxent River''', and the '''Western Branch''' are the three largest tributaries. The Middle Patuxent flows into the Little Patuxent just upstream from the historic [[Savage Mill]] in [[Savage, Maryland|Savage]]. The Little Patuxent then joins the Patuxent just southwest of [[Crofton, Maryland|Crofton]]. The Middle Patuxent flows {{convert|24|mi}} through the middle of Howard County, while the Little Patuxent flows {{convert|38|mi}} through northeast and southeast Howard County and western Anne Arundel County.<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed April 1, 2011</ref> Western Branch originates under the name Folly Branch in the Wingate Drive area of the northern part of [[Glenn Dale, Maryland|Glenn Dale]], assuming the name "Western Branch" in [[Woodmore, Maryland|Woodmore]], continuing southward through Prince George's County, joined by [[Collington Branch]] before it joins the Patuxent near [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland|Upper Marlboro]].


==History==
==History==
[[File:Maryland - Odenton through Patuxent - NARA - 23941157 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|View of the River, 1935]]
Native Americans have lived along the Patuxent River since at least 1100 BC.<ref>{{cite web
Native Americans have lived along the Patuxent River since at least 1100 BC.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/unearth-lost-towns-with-archaeologists
|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/unearth-lost-towns-with-archaeologists
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|publisher=Atlas Obscura
|publisher=Atlas Obscura
|access-date=2020-04-18
|access-date=2020-04-18
}}</ref> An archaeological dig at [[Bristol, MD|Pig Point]] (just north of [[Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary|Jug Bay]] at the end of Wrighton Road <ref>[https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.793062,-76.704676&spn=0.010871,0.020835&t=h&z=16 Pig Point Archaeology Site], at the end of Wrighton Road, [[Bristol, MD|Bristol]], via Google Maps</ref>) uncovered some of the oldest known artifacts in the Mid Atlantic states,<ref name=furgurson>[http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/04/amazing-artifacts-unearthed-at-pig.html "Amazing artifacts unearthed at Pig Point"], E.B. Furgurson III, ''The Archaeology News Network'', April 2011. Original source: ''The Capital'' [April 17, 2011]</ref> including pottery, arrow and spear points and remnants of wigwams, fires and foodways. The site was probably a center of trade in the region and has one of the best unbroken archaeological records on the East Coast.<ref name=furgurson/> The Pig Point site includes remnants of the oldest structures ever found in Maryland, [[wigwam]] post holes dating to the 3rd century.<ref name=furgurson/>
}}</ref> An archaeological dig at [[Bristol, MD|Pig Point]] (just north of [[Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary|Jug Bay]] at the end of Wrighton Road <ref>[https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.793062,-76.704676&spn=0.010871,0.020835&t=h&z=16 Pig Point Archaeology Site], at the end of Wrighton Road, [[Bristol, MD|Bristol]], via Google Maps</ref>) uncovered some of the oldest known artifacts in the Mid Atlantic states,<ref name=furgurson>[http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/04/amazing-artifacts-unearthed-at-pig.html "Amazing artifacts unearthed at Pig Point"], E.B. Furgurson III, ''The Archaeology News Network'', April 2011. Original source: ''The Capital'' [April 17, 2011]</ref> including pottery, arrow and spear points, and remnants of wigwams, fires and foodways. The site was probably a center of trade in the region and has one of the best unbroken archaeological records on the East Coast.<ref name=furgurson/> The Pig Point site includes remnants of the oldest structures ever found in Maryland, [[wigwam]] post holes dating to the third century.<ref name=furgurson/>

The word ''Patuxent'' is derived from the [[Algonquin language]] used by the indigenous people living in the area prior to the arrival of the European settlers. Its meaning is debated. According to some sources it means "water running over loose stones"<ref>Patuxent Riverkeeper - About the river: http://paxriverkeeper.org/about-the-river/</ref> while others believe it means the "place where tobacco grows".<ref>Stein Charles Francis. 19771976. A History of Calvert County Maryland. 3d ed. Baltimore Md: Published by the author in cooperation with the Calvert County Historical Society. page 2</ref>


The Patuxent River was first named ("Pawtuxunt") on the detailed map resulting from the 1608 voyage upriver by [[Jamestown, Virginia]] settler [[John Smith of Jamestown|John Smith]].<ref>{{Cite book
The Patuxent River was first named ("Pawtuxunt") on the detailed map resulting from the 1608 voyage upriver by [[Jamestown, Virginia]] settler [[John Smith of Jamestown|John Smith]].<ref>{{Cite book
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This was most likely the second visit by Europeans to the Patuxent, as in June 1588 a small [[Spain|Spanish]] expedition under Vicente Gonzalez is believed to have anchored for the night in the Patuxent mouth.<ref>{{cite book
This was most likely the second visit by Europeans to the Patuxent, as in June 1588 a small [[Spain|Spanish]] expedition under [[Vicente González (governor)|Vicente Gonzalez]] is believed to have anchored for the night in the Patuxent mouth.<ref>{{cite book
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|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824102951/http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/misc/nws83-10/chron.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-08-24}}</ref>
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824102951/http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/misc/nws83-10/chron.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-08-24}}</ref>
The river was an important colonial shipping port with the government's garrison situated at the mouth of the river where [[Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore|Charles Calvert]] was first Collector in 1673.<ref>Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. "Mattapany (18ST390)". Data from the Colonial Encounters project. [http://colonialencounters.org/SiteSummaries/MattapanySummary.aspx Colonial Encounters website] www.colonialencounters.org Retrieved 11 March 2019.</ref><ref>"Archives of Maryland Historical List Collectors, 1673-1776." Source: Edward C. Papenfuse, et al., Archives of Maryland, Historical List, new series, Vol. 1. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives, 1990. [https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc2600/sc2685/html/coll.html Maryland State Archives website] Retrieved 11 March 2019.</ref> In 1699, [[Thomas Browne II|Thomas Browne]], a Patuxent Ranger, followed the river from the Snowden plantation to where [[Clarksville, Maryland|Clarksville]] is sited.<ref>{{cite book|title=Howard's Roads to the Past|page=2|publisher=Howard County Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee, 2001|year=2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland|author=Joshua Dorsey Warfield|page=337}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Side-lights on Maryland History: With Sketches of Early Maryland, Volume 2|author=Hester Dorsey Richardson|page=290}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America; the Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States, Volume 7|author=Frederick Adams Virkus, Albert Nelson Marquis|publisher=A. N. Marquis, 1942}}</ref> In 1702 George Plater I was the naval officer<ref>"America and West Indies: October 1702, 6-10." Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 20, 1702. Ed. Cecil Headlam. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1912. 650-653[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol20/pp650-653 British History Online website]. Retrieved 11 March 2019.</ref> having earlier served as Collector after Calvert, Rousby, Sewall, Digges, and Payne held the collectorship.
The river was an important colonial shipping port with the government's garrison situated at the mouth of the river where [[Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore|Charles Calvert]] was first Collector in 1673.<ref>Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. "Mattapany (18ST390)". Data from the Colonial Encounters project. [http://colonialencounters.org/SiteSummaries/MattapanySummary.aspx Colonial Encounters website] www.colonialencounters.org Retrieved 11 March 2019.</ref><ref>"Archives of Maryland Historical List Collectors, 1673-1776." Source: Edward C. Papenfuse, et al., Archives of Maryland, Historical List, new series, Vol. 1. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives, 1990. [https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc2600/sc2685/html/coll.html Maryland State Archives website] Retrieved 11 March 2019.</ref> In 1699, [[Thomas Browne II|Thomas Browne]], sometimes referred to as 'The Patuxent Ranger', followed the river from the Snowden plantation to where [[Clarksville, Maryland|Clarksville]] is sited.<ref>{{cite book|title=Howard's Roads to the Past|page=2|publisher=Howard County Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee, 2001|year=2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland|author=Joshua Dorsey Warfield|page=337}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Side-lights on Maryland History: With Sketches of Early Maryland, Volume 2|author=Hester Dorsey Richardson|page=290}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America; the Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States, Volume 7|author=Frederick Adams Virkus, Albert Nelson Marquis|publisher=A. N. Marquis, 1942}}</ref> In 1702 George Plater I was the Patuxent naval officer (later based at [[Sotterley (Hollywood, Maryland)|Sotterley Plantation]]),<ref>"America and West Indies: October 1702, 6-10." Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 20, 1702. Ed. Cecil Headlam. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1912. 650-653 [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol20/pp650-653 British History Online website]. Retrieved 11 March 2019.</ref> having earlier served as Collector after Calvert, Rousby, Sewall, Digges, and Payne held the collectorship.
By the mid and late 17th century respectively, [[Colony|colonists]] spread upriver to Mt. Calvert and Billingsley Point, two 18th-century mansions {{convert|43.5|mi|km|0}} upriver from the Chesapeake that are today part of Patuxent River Park. By the 1730s, the Snowden [[iron ore]] furnace (also known as [[Patuxent Iron Works|Patuxent Furnace]]) just southeast of [[Laurel, Maryland|Laurel]],<ref>{{cite web
By the mid and late seventeenth century respectively, [[Colony|colonists]] spread upriver to Mt. Calvert and Billingsley Point, two 18th-century mansions {{convert|43.5|mi|km|0}} upriver from the Chesapeake that are today part of Patuxent River Park. By 1705, the Snowden [[iron ore]] furnace (also known as the [[Patuxent Iron Works]]) just southeast of [[Laurel, Maryland|Laurel]],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.heritage.umd.edu/CHRSWeb/AssociatedProjects/chidesterreport/Chapter%20VI.htm
|url=http://www.heritage.umd.edu/CHRSWeb/AssociatedProjects/chidesterreport/Chapter%20VI.htm
|title=A Historic Context for the Archaeology of Industrial Labor in the State of Maryland
|title=A Historic Context for the Archaeology of Industrial Labor in the State of Maryland
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|access-date=2007-10-01
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
was shipping "[[pig iron]]" downriver from the current vicinity of the 1783 [[Montpelier Mansion]], also part of Patuxent River Park.
was shipping "[[pig iron]]" downriver from the current vicinity of the 1783 [[Montpelier Mansion (Laurel, Maryland)|Montpelier Mansion]], also part of Patuxent River Park.


In August 1814, Commodore [[Joshua Barney]] and his [[Chesapeake Bay Flotilla]] were trapped in the Patuxent by the [[Royal Navy|British fleet]] under Admiral Sir [[George Cockburn]]. To keep them from British hands, Barney's men ignited the [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] of his ships in the four mile (6&nbsp;km) stretch above Pig Point ({{convert|44|mi|km}} upriver from the Chesapeake when the British approached.<ref name=barn>{{cite book
In August 1814, Commodore [[Joshua Barney]] and his [[Chesapeake Bay Flotilla]] were trapped in the Patuxent by the [[Royal Navy|British fleet]] under Admiral Sir [[George Cockburn]]. To keep them from British hands, Barney's men ignited the [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] of his ships in the four mile (6&nbsp;km) stretch above Pig Point ({{convert|44|mi|km}} upriver from the Chesapeake when the British approached.<ref name=barn>{{cite book
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| url =https://archive.org/details/shipwrecksonches0000shom/page/87
| url =https://archive.org/details/shipwrecksonches0000shom/page/87
| isbn =0-87033-283-X
| isbn =0-87033-283-X
}}</ref> The British then launched their attack on [[Washington, D.C.]], from their warships in the Patuxent at [[Benedict, Maryland|Benedict]], {{convert|22|mi|km|0}} away. From there, the troops marched through, Nottingham, [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland|Upper Marlboro]], [[Bladensburg, Maryland|Bladensburg]] and on to Washington.<ref>{{cite journal
}}</ref> The British then launched their attack on [[Washington, D.C.]], from their warships in the Patuxent at [[Benedict, Maryland|Benedict]], {{convert|22|mi|km|0}} away. From there, the troops marched through Nottingham, [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland|Upper Marlboro]], [[Bladensburg, Maryland|Bladensburg]], and on to Washington.<ref>{{cite journal
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==Economy and commerce==
==Economy and commerce==
[[Tobacco]] farming dominated the Patuxent's economy for the two centuries following white settlement, with about sixty percent of Maryland's tobacco coming from the Patuxent valley by the late 18th century.
[[Tobacco]] farming dominated the Patuxent's economy for the two centuries following white settlement, with about sixty percent of Maryland's tobacco coming from the Patuxent valley by the late eighteenth century.


Destruction of the plantations by the British and of the soil by centuries of tobacco farming brought the mid and lower Patuxent valley into a period of decline that would last until the 1930s, when there were fewer residents in the Patuxent's Calvert County than there were in the 1840s, and only a few hundred more than in the first Calvert County [[census]] in 1790.
Destruction of the plantations by the British and of the soil by centuries of tobacco farming brought the mid and lower Patuxent valley into a period of decline that would last until the 1930s, when there were fewer residents in the Patuxent's Calvert County than there were in the 1840s, and only a few hundred more than in the first Calvert County [[census]] in 1790.
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The Patuxent was plied by regular [[steamship]] service, mostly from the Weems Line, from the 1820s to the 1920s, replacing the [[schooner]]s and sailing [[Packet (sea transport)|packets]] that had for the previous centuries served the river's many landings and docks along the {{convert|52|mi|km|0|adj=on}} tidal reach.
The Patuxent was plied by regular [[steamship]] service, mostly from the Weems Line, from the 1820s to the 1920s, replacing the [[schooner]]s and sailing [[Packet (sea transport)|packets]] that had for the previous centuries served the river's many landings and docks along the {{convert|52|mi|km|0|adj=on}} tidal reach.


The [[Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission]] constructed two dams on the main branch in the mid-20th century. [[Brighton Dam]] was constructed {{convert|96|mi|km|0}} from the Chesapeake in 1943, impounding the waters of [[Triadelphia Reservoir]]; in 1952 the [[T. Howard Duckett Dam]] was constructed {{convert|14|mi|km|0}} further downstream, near Laurel, thus creating [[Rocky Gorge Reservoir]].<ref>Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Laurel, MD (2007). [http://www.wsscwater.com/about/history.cfm "The WSSC-- A Thumbnail History."] Accessed 2010-02-15.</ref> The land surrounding the two reservoirs is administered by the WSSC, creating a forested reserve of {{convert|4400|acre|km2|0}} accessible to the public for horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and picnicking in limited areas. The state of Maryland classifies the T. Howard Duckett Dam as "high hazard" because large releases of water flood areas of North Laurel.<ref>Maryland Department of the Environment. Baltimore, MD (2006). [http://www.mde.state.md.us/ResearchCenter/Publications/General/eMDE/vol2no6/dams.asp "Maryland Dams Endure Dramatic Rainfall."] ''eMDE'' (online newsletter). V.2, No. 6, October 2006.</ref>
The [[Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission]] constructed two dams on the main branch in the mid-twentieth century. [[Brighton Dam]] was constructed {{convert|96|mi|km|0}} from the Chesapeake in 1943, impounding the waters of [[Triadelphia Reservoir]]; in 1952 the [[T. Howard Duckett Dam]] was constructed {{convert|14|mi|km|0}} farther downstream, near Laurel, thus creating [[Rocky Gorge Reservoir]].<ref>Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Laurel, Maryland (2007). [http://www.wsscwater.com/about/history.cfm "The WSSC-- A Thumbnail History"], Accessed 2010-02-15.</ref> The land surrounding the two reservoirs is administered by the WSSC, creating a forested reserve of {{convert|4400|acre|km2|0}} accessible to the public for horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and picnicking in limited areas. The state of Maryland classifies the T. Howard Duckett Dam as "high hazard" because large releases of water flood areas of North Laurel.<ref>Maryland Department of the Environment. Baltimore, Maryland (2006). [http://www.mde.state.md.us/ResearchCenter/Publications/General/eMDE/vol2no6/dams.asp "Maryland Dams Endure Dramatic Rainfall"], ''eMDE'' (online newsletter). V.2, No. 6, October 2006.</ref>


With public recreational land on one or both shores of 74 of the river's 115 miles including the reservoir land, the impact that recreation in natural settings now has on the river's economy is obvious. The [[NAS Patuxent River|Patuxent Naval Air Station]] at the mouth of the river has continued to grow over past decades, providing along with tourism another main economic engine in the lower river valley which includes the popular boating center of [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]].
With public recreational land on one or both shores of 74 of the river's 115 miles including the reservoir land, the impact that recreation in natural settings now has on the river's economy is obvious. The [[NAS Patuxent River|Patuxent Naval Air Station]] at the mouth of the river has continued to grow during past decades along with tourism, providing another main economic engine in the lower river valley that includes the popular boating center of [[Solomons, Maryland|Solomons]].

The Patuxent River is the sole known source for Maryland's State Gemstone, a form of agate called [[Patuxent River stone]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-gemstone/maryland.html | title=Maryland State Gemstone: Patuxent River Stone (Agate) }}</ref>


==Environmental concerns==
==Environmental concerns==
According to EcoHealth Report Cards, the Patuxent River has a below average health rating, scoring a 38%, compared to the Chesapeake's over all health rating of 54, as of 2016. However, the river does have higher ratings in dissolved oxygen, and likely, will soon have higher ratings in phosphorus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/chesapeake-bay/health/|title=Health {{!}} EcoHealth Report Cards|website=EcoReportCard|language=en|access-date=2018-03-15}}</ref>
According to EcoHealth Report Cards, the Patuxent River has a below average health rating, scoring a 38%, compared to the Chesapeake's over all health rating of 54%, as of 2016. However, the river does have higher ratings in dissolved oxygen, and likely, will soon have higher ratings in phosphorus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/chesapeake-bay/health/|title=Health {{!}} EcoHealth Report Cards|website=EcoReportCard|language=en|access-date=2018-03-15}}</ref>


The Middle and Little Patuxent watersheds include nearly all of [[Columbia, Maryland]], including its downtown urban [[Lake Kittamaqundi]] and Wilde Lake. Columbia is a large planned community in Howard County that opened in 1967. Columbia's major downtown roadway is called Little Patuxent Parkway, and [[Maryland Route 175]] in East Columbia was known as the Patuxent Parkway until May 2006, when it was renamed for Columbia's founder, the late [[James Rouse]], and his wife, Patty. It was the largely unchecked [[erosion]] from this late 1960s and 1970s building spree that contributed the bulk of the Patuxent River's highest and most damaging [[sediment]], [[siltation]], and [[water pollution|pollution]] levels to date downstream. This in turn led to a nearly complete destruction of a once thriving [[seafood]] industry along the [[brackish]] portion of the river.
The Middle and Little Patuxent watersheds include nearly all of [[Columbia, Maryland]], including its downtown urban [[Lake Kittamaqundi]] and Wilde Lake. Columbia is a large planned community in Howard County that opened in 1967. Columbia's major downtown roadway is called Little Patuxent Parkway, and [[Maryland Route 175]] in East Columbia was known as the Patuxent Parkway until May 2006, when it was renamed for Columbia's founder, the late [[James Rouse]], and his wife, Patty. It was the largely unchecked [[erosion]] from this late 1960s and 1970s building spree that contributed the bulk of the Patuxent River's highest and most damaging [[sediment]], [[siltation]], and [[water pollution|pollution]] levels to date downstream. This in turn led to a nearly complete destruction of a once thriving [[seafood]] industry along the [[brackish]] portion of the river.


"The Patuxent River has known no greater friend, advocate and defender than [[Bernie Fowler]]."<ref>{{cite web
"The Patuxent River has known no greater friend, advocate, and defender than [[Bernie Fowler]]."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.chesapeakebay.net/newsbernie061407.htm
|url=http://www.chesapeakebay.net/newsbernie061407.htm
|title=Bernie Fowler Wade-in Draws Attention to Patuxent Water Quality
|title=Bernie Fowler Wade-in Draws Attention to Patuxent Water Quality
Line 201: Line 209:
|access-date=2007-12-04
|access-date=2007-12-04
}}<br>
}}<br>
Quote attributed to Congressman [[Steny Hoyer]].</ref> Fowler, as an early-1970s Calvert County Commissioner, led the way in a lawsuit filed by downriver Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's counties against upriver counties. The lawsuit forced the state, the upriver counties, and the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] to enact pollution control measures. Between 1985 and 2005, the Patuxent saw a 26% decrease in [[nitrogen]], a 46% decrease in [[phosphorus]], and a 35% reduction in sediment, despite [[urbanization|urban areas]] increasing to 31% of the watershed by 2002. Of the Chesapeake's major tributaries, the Patuxent is the only one having most of its harmful phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient overloads coming from [[urban runoff]]. The river's other two largest contributors, [[point source]]s ([[industrial wastewater treatment|industrial]], [[sewage]], etc.) and the declining (24%) [[agriculture|agricultural]] areas, contribute less of the nutrient load. [[Forest]]ed areas account for 43% of the watershed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/tribstrat/basin_summary_pax_012505.pdf |title=Maryland Tributary Strategy: Patuxent River Basin Summary Report for 1985–2005 Data |pages=3, 6 |author=Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Office |publisher=Maryland Department of Natural Resources |date=2007-08-01 |access-date=2007-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/tribstrat/basin_summary_pax_012505.pdf |title=Bay Journal: Chesapeake Cleanup Update – River Basin Overviews(Patuxent) |author=Karl Blankenship |publisher=Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay |date=January 2007 |access-date=2007-12-06}}</ref>
Quote attributed to Congressman [[Steny Hoyer]].</ref> Fowler, as an early-1970s Calvert County commissioner, led the way in a lawsuit filed by downriver Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's counties against upriver counties. The lawsuit forced the state, the upriver counties, and the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] to enact pollution control measures. Between 1985 and 2005, the Patuxent saw a 26% decrease in [[nitrogen]], a 46% decrease in [[phosphorus]], and a 35% reduction in sediment, despite [[urbanization|urban areas]] increasing to 31% of the watershed by 2002. Of the Chesapeake's major tributaries, the Patuxent is the only one having most of its harmful phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient overloads coming from [[urban runoff]]. The river's other two largest contributors, [[point source]]s ([[industrial wastewater treatment|industrial]], [[sewage]], etc.) and the declining (24%) [[agriculture|agricultural]] areas, contribute less of the nutrient load. [[Forest]]ed areas account for 43% of the watershed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/tribstrat/basin_summary_pax_012505.pdf |title=Maryland Tributary Strategy: Patuxent River Basin Summary Report for 1985–2005 Data |pages=3, 6 |author=Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Office |publisher=Maryland Department of Natural Resources |date=2007-08-01 |access-date=2007-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/tribstrat/basin_summary_pax_012505.pdf |title=Bay Journal: Chesapeake Cleanup Update – River Basin Overviews(Patuxent) |author=Karl Blankenship |publisher=Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay |date=January 2007 |access-date=2007-12-06}}</ref>

In 2004, Fred Tutman became the first "Riverkeeper" for the Patuxent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mdp.state.md.us/INFO/agenda_03/minutes04/june04_min.pdf |title=Summary of June 2004 Meeting Minutes |author=Patuxent River Commission |year=2004 |access-date=2007-12-05}}</ref> The mission of the Patuxent Riverkeeper organization, a member of the worldwide [[Waterkeeper Alliance]], is to protect and improve the quality of the river's water and watershed and provide access and education at its facility in [[Nottingham, Prince George's County, Maryland|Nottingham]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.paxriverkeeper.org/|title=Patuxent Riverkeeper – Clean water advocates serving people & communities since 2004|website=www.paxriverkeeper.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-15}}</ref>

Over the past 50 years, nationally recognized land preservation efforts in this part of Maryland have saved tens of thousands of acres from the Baltimore-Washington [[bedroom community]] [[urban sprawl|sprawl]]. The southern half of the U.S. Army's [[Fort Meade]] was added to the [[Patuxent Wildlife Research Center]], which, at {{convert|12300|acre|km2|0}}, is the [[List of parks in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area|second largest contiguous public park-refuge within {{convert|30|mi|km|-1}} of either Washington or Baltimore]]. It is located midway between these two cities. The contiguous public area of {{convert|8575|acre|km2|0}} centered on Jug Bay, {{convert|42|mi|km|0}} upriver from the Chesapeake, form the fifth largest such Baltimore-D.C. preserve and largest tidewater one and consist of the [[Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary]], the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Jug Bay component of the Patuxent River Park. The {{convert|6600|acre|km2|0|adj=on}} Patuxent River State Park in the uppermost part of the basin is the seventh largest.
[[File:Patuxent River 20201109.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Aerial photograph of the Patuxent River forming the boundary of Calvert County (foreground) and Prince George's County]]


===Chesapeake Bay Week video releases, 2022===
In 2004 Fred Tutman became the first "Riverkeeper" for the Patuxent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mdp.state.md.us/INFO/agenda_03/minutes04/june04_min.pdf |title=Summary of June 2004 Meeting Minutes |author=Patuxent River Commission |year=2004 |access-date=2007-12-05}}</ref> The mission of the Patuxent Riverkeeper organization, a member of the worldwide [[Waterkeeper Alliance]], is to protect and improve the quality of the river's water and watershed and provide access and education at its facility in [[Nottingham, Prince George's County, Maryland|Nottingham]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.paxriverkeeper.org/|title=Patuxent Riverkeeper – Clean water advocates serving people & communities since 2004|website=www.paxriverkeeper.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-15}}</ref>
On 20 April 2022, [[PBS]] released a 26 minute documentary: "[https://www.pbs.org/video/troubled-tributary-marylands-patuxent-river-znhvj0/ Troubled Tributary: Maryland's Patuxent River]" - ''The Patuxent River is a crucial tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Despite the central role the river has played in the history of the Bay's environmental movement and abundant conservation resources funneled to it over the years, it remains polluted. Its riverkeeper, Fred Tutman, believes that environmental injustice exists along its banks.''


On 21 April 2022, [[PBS]] released a 56 minute special: "[https://www.pbs.org/video/the-chesapeake-bay-summit-2022-jngekq/ The Chesapeake Bay Summit 2022]" - ''Experts, scientists and policy makers converge for a compelling discussion on the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, led by host Frank Sesno.''
Over the past 50 years, nationally recognized land preservation efforts in this part of Maryland have saved tens of thousands of acres from the Baltimore-Washington [[bedroom community]] [[urban sprawl|sprawl]]. The southern half of the U.S. Army's [[Fort Meade]] was added to the [[Patuxent Wildlife Research Center]], which, at {{convert|12300|acre|km2|0}}, is the [[List of parks in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area|second largest contiguous public park-refuge within {{convert|30|mi|km|-1}} of either Washington or Baltimore]]. It is located midway between these two cities. The contiguous public area of {{convert|8575|acre|km2|0}} centered on Jug Bay, {{convert|42|mi|km|0}} upriver from the Chesapeake, form the fifth largest such Baltimore-DC preserve and largest tidewater one and consist of the [[Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary]], the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Jug Bay component of the Patuxent River Park. The {{convert|6600|acre|km2|0|adj=on}} Patuxent River State Park in the uppermost part of the basin is the seventh largest.
[[File:Patuxent River 20201109.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Air photo of the Patuxent River forming the boundary of Calvert County (foreground) and Prince George's County]]


==Bridges==
==Bridges==
Line 421: Line 434:
{{Commons category}}
{{Commons category}}
{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Patuxent}}
{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Patuxent}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110403122704/http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dep/downloads/PatuxentProfile.pdf Patuxent River Watershed Profile] - Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
*{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403122704/http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dep/downloads/PatuxentProfile.pdf|date=April 3, 2011|title=Watershed Profile – Patuxent River}} – Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100411072347/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patuxentriver.asp Patuxent River State Park (upper river)]
*[https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/patuxentriver.aspx Patuxent River State Park] (upper river)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090722232141/http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Nature/Patuxent_River_Park.htm Patuxent River Park, Prince George's County (mid-river, west shore)]
<!--{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411072347/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patuxentriver.asp|date=April 11, 2010|title=Patuxent River State Park}} active link above -->
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080416224504/http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/jugbay.cfm Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Anne Arundel County (mid-river, east shore)]
*[https://www.pgparks.com/3436/Patuxent-River-Park Patuxent River Park] in [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's County]] (mid-river, west shore)
<!--{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722232141/http://www.pgparks.com/Things_To_Do/Nature/Patuxent_River_Park.htm|date=July 22, 2009|title=Patuxent River Park}} active link above -->
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061007011519/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/cbnerr/jugbay.asp Jug Bay component of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) in MD (mid-river, both shores)]
*[https://www.aacounty.org/locations-and-directions/jug-bay-wetlands-sanctuary Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary] in [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel County]] (mid-river, east shore)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080602060522/http://www.paxriveronline.com/ PAX River Online (lower river, in the vicinity of [[Patuxent Naval Air Station]])]
<!--{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416224504/http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/jugbay.cfm|date=April 16, 2008|title=Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary}} active link above -->
*{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007011519/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/cbnerr/jugbay.asp|date=October 7, 2006|title=Jug Bay - Chesapeake National Estuarine Research Reserve - Maryland}} (mid-river, both shores)


{{Authority control}}
{{Maryland waters}}
{{Maryland waters}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Patuxent River| ]]
[[Category:Patuxent River| ]]

Latest revision as of 17:46, 14 August 2024

Patuxent River
Patuxent tributary/Patuxent affluent
A bridge over the Patuxent River
Patuxent River near Bowie
Patuxent River drainage basin
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMaryland
Major citiesColumbia, Laurel, Bowie, Upper Marlboro
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • location2.3 mi (3.7 km) southwest of Mount Airy, Maryland, U.S.
 • coordinates39°20′55″N 77°10′39″W / 39.34861°N 77.17750°W / 39.34861; -77.17750
 • elevation823 ft (251 m)
MouthChesapeake Bay
 • location
2 mi (3.2 km) east of Solomons, Maryland
 • coordinates
38°18′43″N 76°25′19″W / 38.31194°N 76.42194°W / 38.31194; -76.42194
 • elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Length115 mi (185 km)
Basin size908 sq mi (2,350 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationLaurel, Maryland
 • average171 cu ft/s (4.8 m3/s)
 • minimum8 cu ft/s (0.23 m3/s)
 • maximum2,870 cu ft/s (81 m3/s)
Discharge 
 • locationBowie, Maryland
 • average647 cu ft/s (18.3 m3/s)
 • minimum134 cu ft/s (3.8 m3/s)
 • maximum4,500 cu ft/s (130 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftLittle Patuxent River
 • rightWestern Branch
The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington, D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between the two. The 908-square-mile (2,352 km2) [1] Patuxent watershed had a rapidly growing population of 590,769 in 2000. It is the largest and longest river entirely within Maryland, and its watershed is the largest completely within the state.

Geography

[edit]

The river source, 115 miles (185 km) from the Chesapeake, is in the hills of the Maryland Piedmont near the intersection of four counties – Howard, Frederick, Montgomery and Carroll, and only 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from Parr's Spring, the source of the south fork of the Patapsco River. Flowing in a generally southeastward direction, the Patuxent crosses the urbanized corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and opens up into a navigable tidal estuary near the colonial seaport of Queen Anne in Prince George's County, Maryland, just southeast of Bowie. The river is bounded by significant marsh areas for 22 miles (35 km) from the Waysons Corner area to the Hunting Creek confluence. The 52 miles (84 km)-long tidal estuary is never wider than 2.3 miles (3.7 km).

It marks the boundary between Montgomery, Prince George's, Charles and St. Mary's counties on the west and Howard, Anne Arundel, and Calvert counties on the east. The Chesapeake estuary's deepest point, 130 feet (40 m) below sea level, is in the lower Patuxent.

The two largest cities in the watershed are Bowie and Laurel, Maryland. There is a percentage of agricultural activity in the region as well. The mid and lower banks of the river have swamp and marshland ecosystems. Many of those ecosystems are protected by some form of parkland, on the state and local levels. The most notable of which include Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Merkle Wetlands Sanctuary in the Edgar A. Merkle Wildlife Refuge,[2][3] and Patuxent River Park, along with many more. Farther north, there is the 20 square mile Patuxent Research Refuge, which helps to protect Patuxent River wildlife.

Tributaries

[edit]

The Little Patuxent River, the Middle Patuxent River, and the Western Branch are the three largest tributaries. The Middle Patuxent flows into the Little Patuxent just upstream from the historic Savage Mill in Savage. The Little Patuxent then joins the Patuxent just southwest of Crofton. The Middle Patuxent flows 24 miles (39 km) through the middle of Howard County, while the Little Patuxent flows 38 miles (61 km) through northeast and southeast Howard County and western Anne Arundel County.[4] Western Branch originates under the name Folly Branch in the Wingate Drive area of the northern part of Glenn Dale, assuming the name "Western Branch" in Woodmore, continuing southward through Prince George's County, joined by Collington Branch before it joins the Patuxent near Upper Marlboro.

History

[edit]
View of the River, 1935

Native Americans have lived along the Patuxent River since at least 1100 BC.[5] An archaeological dig at Pig Point (just north of Jug Bay at the end of Wrighton Road [6]) uncovered some of the oldest known artifacts in the Mid Atlantic states,[7] including pottery, arrow and spear points, and remnants of wigwams, fires and foodways. The site was probably a center of trade in the region and has one of the best unbroken archaeological records on the East Coast.[7] The Pig Point site includes remnants of the oldest structures ever found in Maryland, wigwam post holes dating to the third century.[7]

The word Patuxent is derived from the Algonquin language used by the indigenous people living in the area prior to the arrival of the European settlers. Its meaning is debated. According to some sources it means "water running over loose stones"[8] while others believe it means the "place where tobacco grows".[9]

The Patuxent River was first named ("Pawtuxunt") on the detailed map resulting from the 1608 voyage upriver by Jamestown, Virginia settler John Smith.[10] Captain Smith got as far as the rough vicinity of the present-day Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary (Lyons Creek) area, 40 miles (60 km) from the Chesapeake near what is now the Anne Arundel–Calvert–Prince George's County tripoint.[11][12][13] This was most likely the second visit by Europeans to the Patuxent, as in June 1588 a small Spanish expedition under Vicente Gonzalez is believed to have anchored for the night in the Patuxent mouth.[14] [15][16][17] The river was an important colonial shipping port with the government's garrison situated at the mouth of the river where Charles Calvert was first Collector in 1673.[18][19] In 1699, Thomas Browne, sometimes referred to as 'The Patuxent Ranger', followed the river from the Snowden plantation to where Clarksville is sited.[20][21][22][23] In 1702 George Plater I was the Patuxent naval officer (later based at Sotterley Plantation),[24] having earlier served as Collector after Calvert, Rousby, Sewall, Digges, and Payne held the collectorship. By the mid and late seventeenth century respectively, colonists spread upriver to Mt. Calvert and Billingsley Point, two 18th-century mansions 43.5 miles (70 km) upriver from the Chesapeake that are today part of Patuxent River Park. By 1705, the Snowden iron ore furnace (also known as the Patuxent Iron Works) just southeast of Laurel,[25][26] was shipping "pig iron" downriver from the current vicinity of the 1783 Montpelier Mansion, also part of Patuxent River Park.

In August 1814, Commodore Joshua Barney and his Chesapeake Bay Flotilla were trapped in the Patuxent by the British fleet under Admiral Sir George Cockburn. To keep them from British hands, Barney's men ignited the magazines of his ships in the four mile (6 km) stretch above Pig Point (44 miles (71 km) upriver from the Chesapeake when the British approached.[27] The British then launched their attack on Washington, D.C., from their warships in the Patuxent at Benedict, 22 miles (35 km) away. From there, the troops marched through Nottingham, Upper Marlboro, Bladensburg, and on to Washington.[28]

Economy and commerce

[edit]

Tobacco farming dominated the Patuxent's economy for the two centuries following white settlement, with about sixty percent of Maryland's tobacco coming from the Patuxent valley by the late eighteenth century.

Destruction of the plantations by the British and of the soil by centuries of tobacco farming brought the mid and lower Patuxent valley into a period of decline that would last until the 1930s, when there were fewer residents in the Patuxent's Calvert County than there were in the 1840s, and only a few hundred more than in the first Calvert County census in 1790.

The Patuxent was plied by regular steamship service, mostly from the Weems Line, from the 1820s to the 1920s, replacing the schooners and sailing packets that had for the previous centuries served the river's many landings and docks along the 52-mile (84 km) tidal reach.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission constructed two dams on the main branch in the mid-twentieth century. Brighton Dam was constructed 96 miles (154 km) from the Chesapeake in 1943, impounding the waters of Triadelphia Reservoir; in 1952 the T. Howard Duckett Dam was constructed 14 miles (23 km) farther downstream, near Laurel, thus creating Rocky Gorge Reservoir.[29] The land surrounding the two reservoirs is administered by the WSSC, creating a forested reserve of 4,400 acres (18 km2) accessible to the public for horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and picnicking in limited areas. The state of Maryland classifies the T. Howard Duckett Dam as "high hazard" because large releases of water flood areas of North Laurel.[30]

With public recreational land on one or both shores of 74 of the river's 115 miles including the reservoir land, the impact that recreation in natural settings now has on the river's economy is obvious. The Patuxent Naval Air Station at the mouth of the river has continued to grow during past decades along with tourism, providing another main economic engine in the lower river valley that includes the popular boating center of Solomons.

The Patuxent River is the sole known source for Maryland's State Gemstone, a form of agate called Patuxent River stone.[31]

Environmental concerns

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According to EcoHealth Report Cards, the Patuxent River has a below average health rating, scoring a 38%, compared to the Chesapeake's over all health rating of 54%, as of 2016. However, the river does have higher ratings in dissolved oxygen, and likely, will soon have higher ratings in phosphorus.[32]

The Middle and Little Patuxent watersheds include nearly all of Columbia, Maryland, including its downtown urban Lake Kittamaqundi and Wilde Lake. Columbia is a large planned community in Howard County that opened in 1967. Columbia's major downtown roadway is called Little Patuxent Parkway, and Maryland Route 175 in East Columbia was known as the Patuxent Parkway until May 2006, when it was renamed for Columbia's founder, the late James Rouse, and his wife, Patty. It was the largely unchecked erosion from this late 1960s and 1970s building spree that contributed the bulk of the Patuxent River's highest and most damaging sediment, siltation, and pollution levels to date downstream. This in turn led to a nearly complete destruction of a once thriving seafood industry along the brackish portion of the river.

"The Patuxent River has known no greater friend, advocate, and defender than Bernie Fowler."[33] Fowler, as an early-1970s Calvert County commissioner, led the way in a lawsuit filed by downriver Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's counties against upriver counties. The lawsuit forced the state, the upriver counties, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enact pollution control measures. Between 1985 and 2005, the Patuxent saw a 26% decrease in nitrogen, a 46% decrease in phosphorus, and a 35% reduction in sediment, despite urban areas increasing to 31% of the watershed by 2002. Of the Chesapeake's major tributaries, the Patuxent is the only one having most of its harmful phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient overloads coming from urban runoff. The river's other two largest contributors, point sources (industrial, sewage, etc.) and the declining (24%) agricultural areas, contribute less of the nutrient load. Forested areas account for 43% of the watershed.[34][35]

In 2004, Fred Tutman became the first "Riverkeeper" for the Patuxent.[36] The mission of the Patuxent Riverkeeper organization, a member of the worldwide Waterkeeper Alliance, is to protect and improve the quality of the river's water and watershed and provide access and education at its facility in Nottingham.[37]

Over the past 50 years, nationally recognized land preservation efforts in this part of Maryland have saved tens of thousands of acres from the Baltimore-Washington bedroom community sprawl. The southern half of the U.S. Army's Fort Meade was added to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, which, at 12,300 acres (50 km2), is the second largest contiguous public park-refuge within 30 miles (50 km) of either Washington or Baltimore. It is located midway between these two cities. The contiguous public area of 8,575 acres (35 km2) centered on Jug Bay, 42 miles (68 km) upriver from the Chesapeake, form the fifth largest such Baltimore-D.C. preserve and largest tidewater one and consist of the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Jug Bay component of the Patuxent River Park. The 6,600-acre (27 km2) Patuxent River State Park in the uppermost part of the basin is the seventh largest.

Aerial photograph of the Patuxent River forming the boundary of Calvert County (foreground) and Prince George's County

Chesapeake Bay Week video releases, 2022

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On 20 April 2022, PBS released a 26 minute documentary: "Troubled Tributary: Maryland's Patuxent River" - The Patuxent River is a crucial tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Despite the central role the river has played in the history of the Bay's environmental movement and abundant conservation resources funneled to it over the years, it remains polluted. Its riverkeeper, Fred Tutman, believes that environmental injustice exists along its banks.

On 21 April 2022, PBS released a 56 minute special: "The Chesapeake Bay Summit 2022" - Experts, scientists and policy makers converge for a compelling discussion on the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, led by host Frank Sesno.

Bridges

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Crossing Carries Location Coordinates
Montgomery County – Howard County
MD 27 bridge MD 27 (Ridge Road) Southwest of Mt. Airy
Windsor Forest Road bridge Windsor Forest Road Southwest of Mt. Airy
Long Corner Road bridge Long Corner Road Damascus
MD 94 bridge MD 94 (Annapolis Rock Road/Woodbine Road) Damascus
Mullinix Mill Road bridge Mullinix Mill Road Damascus
Hipsley Mill Road bridge Hipsley Mill Road Etchison
Howard Chapel Road bridge Howard Chapel Road Unity
MD 97 bridge MD 97 (Georgia Avenue/Roxbury Mills Road) North of Brookeville
Triadelphia Reservoir Brighton Dam Road Brookeville
Clarksville
39°12′27″N 77°00′48″W / 39.207517°N 77.013302°W / 39.207517; -77.013302
Haviland Mill Road bridge Haviland Mill Road Brinklow
Mink Hollow Road bridge Mink Hollow Road Brinklow
Snell's Bridge MD 108 (Ashton Road/Clarksville Pike) Ashton
Highland
Brown's Bridge Ednor Road/Browns Bridge Road Ashton
Highland
US 29 bridge over Rocky Gorge Reservoir US 29 (Columbia Pike) North of Burtonsville
Prince George's County – Howard County
I-95 bridge near T. Howard Duckett Dam I-95 Laurel
MD 216 bridge MD 216 (7th Street) Laurel
US 1 bridges US 1 (Washington Boulevard, southbound traffic; 2nd Street, northbound traffic) Laurel
Howard County – Prince George's County – Anne Arundel County
B&O bridge CSX Capital Subdivision Laurel
Prince George's County – Anne Arundel County
MD 198 bridge MD 198 (Laurel Fort Meade Road) Laurel
Brock Bridge Road bridge Brock Bridge Road Laurel
Baltimore–Washington Parkway bridge Baltimore-Washington Parkway Laurel
Duval Bridge
(not open to public vehicular traffic)
Old Telegraph Road (Lago Road) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Northeast Corridor bridge Amtrak Northeast Corridor Bowie (near Bowie State University)
Priest Bridge MD 3 / MD 450 (Robert Crain Highway) Bowie
Crofton
US 50 bridge I-595 / US 50 / US 301 (John Hanson Highway) Davidsonville
Governor's Bridge Governor Bridge Road Davidsonville 39°00′24″N 76°46′46″W / 39.00667°N 76.77944°W / 39.00667; -76.77944
MD 214 bridge MD 214 (Central Avenue) Queen Anne
Queen Anne Bridge
(closed in 2007 to all use)
Queen Anne Bridge Road Queen Anne 38°53′42.65″N 76°40′34.65″W / 38.8951806°N 76.6762917°W / 38.8951806; -76.6762917
Hills Bridge MD 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) Upper Marlboro
Calvert CountyCharles County
Benedict Bridge MD 231 Benedict
Calvert CountySt. Mary's County
Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge MD 4 Solomons 38°19′34.7″N 76°28′17.23″W / 38.326306°N 76.4714528°W / 38.326306; -76.4714528


See also

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References

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  1. ^ Costanza, Robert; et al. (May 1, 2002). "Integrated Ecological Economic Modeling of the Patuxent River Watershed, Maryland". Ecological Monographs. pp. 203–231. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  2. ^ Meyer, Eugene L., The Legacy of Edgar Merkle: Canada Geese on the Patuxent, The Washington Post, August 18, 1984
  3. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20100815073135/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/merkle.asp Merkle Wildlife Refuge web site
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
  5. ^ Dr. Zachary Singer. "Unearth Lost Towns with Archaeologists". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. ^ Pig Point Archaeology Site, at the end of Wrighton Road, Bristol, via Google Maps
  7. ^ a b c "Amazing artifacts unearthed at Pig Point", E.B. Furgurson III, The Archaeology News Network, April 2011. Original source: The Capital [April 17, 2011]
  8. ^ Patuxent Riverkeeper - About the river: http://paxriverkeeper.org/about-the-river/
  9. ^ Stein Charles Francis. 19771976. A History of Calvert County Maryland. 3d ed. Baltimore Md: Published by the author in cooperation with the Calvert County Historical Society. page 2
  10. ^ Smith, John (2006). The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles... (Electronic ed.). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
  11. ^ John S. Salmon (May 9, 2006). "Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail – Statement of National Significance" (PDF). Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. p. 136. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
  12. ^ Wayne E. Clark (2005). "Indians in Maryland, An Overview". Maryland Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
  13. ^ "John Smith's Second Chesapeake Voyage". Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
  14. ^ Loker, Aleck (2006). Walter Raleigh's Virginia. Williamsburg, VA: Solitude Press. p. 108. ISBN 1-928874-08-8.
  15. ^ "Author Biography for Closed Sea by Kent Mountford". 2005.
  16. ^ John S. Salmon (May 9, 2006). "Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail – Statement of National Significance" (PDF). Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  17. ^ U.S. Army Engineer Water Resources Support Center (January 1983). "History of the Waterways of the Atlantic Coast of the United States (NWS 83-10) – Chronology" (PDF). U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  18. ^ Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. "Mattapany (18ST390)". Data from the Colonial Encounters project. Colonial Encounters website www.colonialencounters.org Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  19. ^ "Archives of Maryland Historical List Collectors, 1673-1776." Source: Edward C. Papenfuse, et al., Archives of Maryland, Historical List, new series, Vol. 1. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives, 1990. Maryland State Archives website Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  20. ^ Howard's Roads to the Past. Howard County Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee, 2001. 2001. p. 2.
  21. ^ Joshua Dorsey Warfield. The founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland. p. 337.
  22. ^ Hester Dorsey Richardson. Side-lights on Maryland History: With Sketches of Early Maryland, Volume 2. p. 290.
  23. ^ Frederick Adams Virkus, Albert Nelson Marquis. The Compendium of American Genealogy: First Families of America; the Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the United States, Volume 7. A. N. Marquis, 1942.
  24. ^ "America and West Indies: October 1702, 6-10." Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 20, 1702. Ed. Cecil Headlam. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1912. 650-653 British History Online website. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  25. ^ Robert C. Chidester. "A Historic Context for the Archaeology of Industrial Labor in the State of Maryland". The Center for Heritage Resource Studies, University of Maryland. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  26. ^ Peter M. Kranz. Notes on the Sedimentary Iron Ores of Maryland and their Dinosaurian Fauna. Appendix B: University of Maryland. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  27. ^ Shomette, Donald (1982). Shipwrecks on the Chesapeake. Centreville, Maryland: Tidewater Publishers. pp. 87–93. ISBN 0-87033-283-X.
  28. ^ Ross, Gen. (October 1814). "Dispatch from Gen. Ross". The Gentleman's Magazine, London Gazette Extraordinary. v.84 pt.2. Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized by Google: E. Cave: 372. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
  29. ^ Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Laurel, Maryland (2007). "The WSSC-- A Thumbnail History", Accessed 2010-02-15.
  30. ^ Maryland Department of the Environment. Baltimore, Maryland (2006). "Maryland Dams Endure Dramatic Rainfall", eMDE (online newsletter). V.2, No. 6, October 2006.
  31. ^ "Maryland State Gemstone: Patuxent River Stone (Agate)".
  32. ^ "Health | EcoHealth Report Cards". EcoReportCard. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  33. ^ "Bernie Fowler Wade-in Draws Attention to Patuxent Water Quality". Chesapeake Bay Program. June 14, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2007.
    Quote attributed to Congressman Steny Hoyer.
  34. ^ Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Office (August 1, 2007). "Maryland Tributary Strategy: Patuxent River Basin Summary Report for 1985–2005 Data" (PDF). Maryland Department of Natural Resources. pp. 3, 6. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
  35. ^ Karl Blankenship (January 2007). "Bay Journal: Chesapeake Cleanup Update – River Basin Overviews(Patuxent)" (PDF). Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
  36. ^ Patuxent River Commission (2004). "Summary of June 2004 Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Retrieved December 5, 2007.
  37. ^ "Patuxent Riverkeeper – Clean water advocates serving people & communities since 2004". www.paxriverkeeper.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
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