Spa Creek was once known as Carroll's Creek, in reference to Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who lived along the creek. The creek was also known as Todd's Creek and Acton's Creek, named after Thomas Todd and Richard Acton, respectively, who were amongst the first settlers in Annapolis. In 1904, the United States Board on Geographic Names made the name Spa Creek official for usage in federal publications. The current name purportedly originates “from the fact that an old pork barrel was placed in a spring on Primrose farm, and the deluded public, tasting the essence of the meat, concluded that the spring had medicinal qualities in it, and called the fountain Spa Spring. Hence, the name of the creek.” ('Maryland - The Pioneer of Religious Liberty: The Only Catholic Colony of the Thirteen and the First to Establish Civil and Religious Freedom' By Elihu Samuel Riley, 1917)
You read that right. Annapolis' premier creek is named in honor of BACON.
Stepped in It
Dog poop is the source of startling amounts of E. coli, Giardia, salmonella and other microscopic pathogens in local waters. Studies conducted over more than a decade in watersheds across the state have found that pets produce up to one-third of bacterial pollution in waterways near developed areas. In extreme cases, 68 percent of bacterial pollution in the Severn River watershed has been recorded as coming from pet waste.
During rainfall, pet waste left on lawns, beaches, trails, and sidewalks washes into storm drains or into water bodies. The waste and the pathogens it contains (nutrients, bacteria, parasites, and viruses) end up flowing directly into streams, lakes and the Chesapeake Bay where they can harm human health and the environment. It has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans.
Sources:
http://cnsmaryland.org/2012/10/25/the-scoop-on-poop-pet-waste-a-major-polluter-of-md-waterways/
http://stormwater.allianceforthebay.org/take-action/habits-to-help/pet-waste/
(5/21/16) Cache is more or less visible but blends in very well. Was not intending to be tricky. Congrats to Fossil Fae on FTF