Tag Archives: watershed

Forest Estates (Wheaton) Green Streets Help to Restore Sligo Creek

Streetside bioretention holds stormwater rather than sending it through pipes into regional stormwater ponds

Just south of downtown Wheaton, the Forest Estates is a single-family-home residential neighborhood tucked between Dennis Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway. This neighborhood is the site of a “green streets” roadway rehabilitation project, where landscaping installed along the curb helps to control and treat rainfall runoff. The small landscaped areas use plants to trap pollutants carried by the first flush of rainfall runoff (i.e., runoff from the first inch of rainfall–the amount of the majority of rainfall events in this…

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RainScaping Solves Leisure World’s Ponding Problem

Ansu John

The “Mutual Eleven” Condominium Association in Leisure World had badly waterlogged garden areas. Clayey soils would not allow rainfall to infiltrate, and as a result any rainfall event resulted in standing water and ponding. Residents complained about the ugly standing water and said it even affected outdoor air conditioning units.

Before rainscapes were installed, waterlogged and clayey soils caused standing water during rainfall events.

At a seminar held by staff members of the Department of Environment Protection of Montgomery County, Darlene…

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When it rains on Arcola Avenue…

photo3

Ansu John

The Arcola Avenue Green Street Project integrates environmentally friendly landscaping right into the street design to treat and absorb rainfall runoff from the street.

Rainfall runoff (or stormwater) from the street carries with it automobile fluids, petroleum products, oil, pet waste, trash, and other debris. Along Arcola Avenue, curbside swales, rain gardens and curb extensions with plants filter the runoff through a mixture of highly permeable soils (sand, mulch, compost), then store the water in an underlying gravel bed from…

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The Potomac is the “most endangered river” in the U.S. Really?

The Potomac River is the nation's "most endangered river". Really?

Ansu John

Do you kayak, fish, or enjoy walks by the Potomac River? Did you know that if you took a shower today it was probably from Potomac water? Do you know that most people in the County get their drinking water from surface water intakes on the Potomac River?

A report published by the nonprofit advocacy group “American Rivers” ranks  the Potomac River as the “most endangered river” in the nation.

Did you get alarmed by the May 15 Washington Post story…

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National recognition for Sligo Creek’s successful restoration of aquatic life

Weir introduced in Sligo Creek as part of restoration project

Ansu John

Montgomery County’s Sligo Creek is getting national recognition for improvements in aquatic life resulting from extensive stormwater pollution control and management in the watershed. EPA has published a case study on Sligo Creek as a Section 319 Success Story. Success Stories are used by EPA to request and justify continued funding from Congress for grant monies (known as Section 319 grants) ear marked for controlling nonpoint source pollution which carries pollutants from urban surfaces and agricultural lands into waterbodies…

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Clean Water Summit Recap

Little Falls Creek

Ryan Zerbe, Watershed Education and Outreach Specialist, Department of Environmental Protection

On March 3rd over 165 residents attended the Community Clean Water Summit. This event, hosted by the Department of Environmental Protection, is in its second year. The new Silver Spring Civic Building provided a great location for residents to interact with all of the watershed groups in Montgomery County.

There were a total of 25 exhibitors and environmental nonprofits on hand representing groups like the Audubon Naturalist Society, the Alice Ferguson Foundation and…

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Cleaning Up Turkey Branch: A Community, Department of Environmental Protection and Parks Collaboration

Turkey Branch, a tributary of Rock Creek in Montgomery County. MD

Ed Murtagh, environmental leader active in several groups including Friends of Sligo Creek and Green Wheaton

Montgomery County has dedicated resources to the restoration of the Turkey Branch Tributary, by restoring approximately 3 miles of stream, installing three new storm water management ponds, and retrofitting an existing storm water pond. The County has started to focus on getting homeowners in Wheaton Woods, a community along Turkey Branch, to install low-impact development (LID) practices, like demonstration rain gardens in the area.

Is this a…

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Local Watershed Groups Gear-up for Spring

Regional Stream Cleanup in Baltimore

Ed Murtagh, environmental leader active in several groups including Friends of Sligo Creek and Green Wheaton

Water is an important resource, and there are a growing number of watershed organizations involved in protecting our local water bodies. These watershed organizations range from a small group of volunteers to large organizations with paid staff. The groups typically organize activities such as volunteer water monitoring, cleanups, remove invasive plants, community education activities and restoration projects.

As the names of the organizations imply, each group…

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Participate in the 2nd Annual Community Clean Water Summit

A view of Little Falls Creek

Keep our streams clean so they can be enjoyed by all! Photo credits: Paul Hlavinka, Muddy Branch Alliance Activity, July 2011.

 

If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to “think globally, but act locally”, in Montgomery County, then mark your calendars for the Community Clean Water Summit on March 3rd, 2012 (snow date March 11th) and show your support for the local streams in your watershed. They need your help!

This summit, which will take place at the Silver Spring Civic Building…

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