Stormwater Partners Network

On April 29, 2010, we kicked off the GreenWheaton demonstration conservation landscaping project at Parking Lot 13 in downtown Wheaton.  The intent is to install an environmentally friendly garden that not only looks beautiful, but also provides environmental services.   As a demonstration garden, we hope the business community and homeowners can learn what they can do at their businesses and homes to help the environment and enhance the community.  In this project the demonstration conservation garden is designed to cleanse polluted stormwater runoff and provide habitat for pollinators.  One of the goals of GreenWheaton is to have many sustainable gardens, greenroofs and trees throughout Wheaton.

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Pine Crest Elementary school recently earned the distinction of becoming the first RainScapes School.  This designation was made possible by a partnership with the school’s “green” club, the Woodmoor Green Team, and local Girl Scout Troops.  The process began with a site evaluation/survey of the school grounds.  The implementation team identifies and documents the location of stormdrains on the site and water sources. A rain garden appeared to be feasible in the front of the school where many people will get to see the garden. 

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Parks is hosting a big grand opening of the Matthew Henson Park on May 9 from 1 to 4 pm.  (see attached PDF) This is a Parks event, but DEP will also be there helping lead tours of the restoration sites and discussing what their plans to implement LID practices throughout the Turkey Branch subwatershed.    There will be both self guided and guided trail walks to talk about the various stream restoration practices.  The guided tours are scheduled to start tentatively from 1 to 2 and from 3 to 4 pm.

Don Dorsey, Ann English, Dan Harper and Doug Marshall from DEP are expected to be at this event.  The designer of the restoration project is also expected to be there.   DEP is planning LID projects throughout the Turkey Branch Watershed as part of this restoration effort (Aspen Hill Library Rain Garden Project and the RainScapes Targeted areas in Turkey Branch).  This is something we have strongly supported.  The Turkey Branch Watershed Restoration is the County’s biggest effort to date on watershed restoration which is required in the Stormwater Permit.  I think it would be very useful for stormwater partners to come to the site and see first hand what watershed restoration means and what the challenges are.    

What is really needed now is helping get the communities organized for stewardship of this watershed and stream.  Is there any interest in setting up a table near where the guided trail starts where residents could sign up or get more information about organizing their communities? If so, you could use our listserv at stormwaters@googlegroups.com as one way to help you organize the table.

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection is working on a visionary project to restore Sligo Creek’s Breewood Tributary in Wheaton. The project includes an effort to get private homeowners in the neighborhood around the tributary to reduce stormwater runoff from their properties. Come and learn more about this exciting new project at next the Friends of Sligo Creek program meeting on Tuesday, May 19th at the Long Branch Community Center. Douglas Marshall, Stream Restoration Planner for the MCDEP, will speak and answer questions about it. This Breewood Tributary project is part of the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Plan Interim Report Framework created by the Army Corps of Engineers and state and local partners that was released to the U.S. Congress and the public on November 21, 2008. This interim plan focuses on potential restoration projects that might be done in the Sligo Creek watershed.

The meeting will be held at the Long Branch Community Center 8700 Piney Branch Road. Come at 7:15 for chatting. We will start the discussion at 7:30. Refreshments will be served.

Pamela Rowe, coordinator of the Montgomery Department of Environmental Protection Rainscapes program, will be speaking at the Neighbors of the Northwest Branch meeting.   This meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 12th at the White Oak Library at 7:30 p.m.

 This program recently unveiled Rainscapes Rewards, offering grants to residential, commercial, and private institutional property owners to improve stormwater runoff conditions on their property by installing more natural drainage projects.  Come to the meeting and find out more about this program!