This invention relates to a color silver halide photographic element comprising gelatin, a support bearing at least one dye image forming unit selected from a dye image forming unit comprising at least one red sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye-forming coupler, a dye image forming unit comprising at least one green sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye-forming coupler, and a dye image forming unit comprising at least one blue sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a dye-forming coupler; and a polymer represented by Formula 1. wherein: A independently represents a bond or a group linking the polymer chain to the SO3−M+ group(s), R1 independently represents H or a lower alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, M+ independently represents an alkali or alkaline earth metal ion or an ammonium or substituted ammonium ion, Z independently represents at least one ethylenically unsaturated, hydrophilic monomer, and a and b represent the weight percent of the respective monomers where a is between 0 and 95%, b is between 5 and 100%, and n is 1 or 2; and wherein the average molecular weight of the polymer is less than about 300,000 and the total amount of the polymer contained in the silver halide element is greater than 1.0% of the total amount of gelatin contained in the silver halide element. It further relates to a method of processing said element.