Stormwater Partners Network

It seems to be a standard practice to put a sign up where a major road crosses over a stream.  For example, there are signs on I-495 the Capital Beltway at the places where it crosses over the Northwest Branch and Sligo Creek.

This sign below for the Paint Branch at Route 29 near White Oak is a little better.  Not only does the sign show the stream name but also an image of what appears to be the Middle Potomac River Basin, as defined by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

These signs could be improved to help spread the message that Sligo Creek, Northwest Branch, and Paint Branch are part of the Anacostia River watershed, given the role that Maryland residents must play to restore the Anacostia.  One way might be to include the word “Anacostia” as well as the local stream name.  Another way may be to create and use a uniform logo on all the signs for these Anacostia watershed streams.   It would be great if Maryland started putting as much effort into the signs for the Anacostia watershed streams as it has done for the Intercounty Connector.  This sign has a uniform logo, and provides a web address, a telephone number, and a radio frequency to check for information.

A coalition of conservation and community groups calls on the Montgomery County Planning Board to stop the Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) plans to begin construction of a highway bridge along the Upper Paint Branch in the Anacostia Watershed.

Citing pollution problems and design flaws already evident in the Upper Rock Creek Special Protection Area portion of the highway project, the Audubon Naturalist Society, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Eyes of Paint Branch, Community Research, and Neighbors of Northwest Branch call on Governor O’Malley to grant a “stay of execution” for Upper Paint Branch.

The State Highway Administation has turned the Mill Creek area of Upper Rock Creek into a moonscape  and has obliterated the forests, wetlands and streams there.  It really comes down to this: Can we truly depend on the State and the County Planning Board to protect and restore the Anacostia River and the Chesapeake Bay.

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