Magothy health declines : Annual report finds underwater grasses vanishing

If the Magothy River were a person, it would be on life support.

The scientist who helps the Magothy River Association monitor the waterway gave it a 42 percent health rating for 2007, saying it looks worse than it has in years.

Acres of underwater grasses disappeared last year, and the river is the murkiest it has been since Tropical Storm Isabel flushed water-cleansing dark false mussels into it four years ago.

Dr. Peter Bergstrom, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Annapolis office, is scheduled to discuss his findings tonight during the sixth annual State of the Magothy address at...