As an avid fan of the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley State Park, I was disturbed by your article citing a Maryland Center for Environmental Science study that showed the Patapsco and Back rivers had scored an F on water quality for the first time since 1996 ("Chesapeake Bay receives C- grade on UM's report card," April 28).
What many people do not realize is that Baltimore's inner and outer harbors are actually part of the Patapsco River before it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. The water quality monitoring stations used for the report were located far downstream from Patapsco Valley State Park, past the Hanover Street bridge near Fort McHenry. By then many falls, streams, creeks and storm water drains have emptied into the Patapsco River.
I agree those monitoring stations can provide useful data points for evaluating the health of the bay. However, by not being more specific regarding the locations of the sampling points, the reputation of the entire Patapsco River is being besmirched.
Reuben Dagold, Pikesville
The writer is president of the Mountain Club of Maryland.