Stormwater Partners Newsletter

Volume 1, Number 2	Stormwater Partners Network News www.stormwaterpartners.org	Summer 2007
Did You Know?	Poorly managed construction sites create runoff that quickly enters creeks, streams, rivers and finally the Bay where it: * Disrupts the insect larvae and other tiny animals living in streams' rocks and gravel. * Blocks the sunlight that underwater grasses need to survive. * Transports harmful pollutants, including nitrogen and phosphorous pollution, metals, and carcinogens such as PCB's. You can help your local stream by monitoring construction sites and taking pictures of any runoff coming from the site. Then report the incident either to the Department of Permitting Services (DPS) or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Mud Busters. To learn more about Mud Busters see http://stormwaterpartners.org/MudBusters.htm
Who's Who in the County? Meet Jill Coutts, MCPS Teacher Poolesville High School Global Ecology Program	Jill Coutts has inspired countless students to appreciate the beauty and importance of the natural areas in our county. Many of Jill's most rewarding field trips were hikes with her students in the Northwest Branch Park. Before these hikes, many of the students, accustomed to the indoors and to organized sports, did not even know such a place, with its displays of wildflowers and entertaining wildlife, existed right in their community. According to Jill, while students are on these hikes, they begin to understand why we must work to preserve our environment. Jill, a former Outdoor Education teacher at the county’s Smith Center, believes strongly in getting her students outdoors as often as possible. In addition to the hikes, she uses other hands-on activities such as building rain gardens and planting trees to teach her students how to care for the environment. The students learn about stormwater runoff in the classroom, and she uses the rain garden projects as tools to teach her students what they can do to manage stormwater runoff. Jill's students also worked with County planners to 'green' the Wheaton Central Business District. Starting in fall 2007, Jill started teaching an advanced earth science course plus advanced AP environmental science at Poolesville High School's Global Ecology magnet program. Jill credits a three day Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) teacher retreat on a Chesapeake Bay island with connecting her with nature. Jill is a member of the Montgomery County Water Quality Advisory Group and a Board Member of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education. In 2006 Jill was selected for Special Recognition by the CBT for her Green Roof Project at Northwood High School.
New Countywide Watershed Initiative	The Chesapeake Bay Trust awarded a grant to the Anacostia Watershed Society and other members of the Montgomery County Stormwater Partners Network to begin planning a Montgomery Watershed Network. Two immediate goals of this initiative are to hold a Countywide Watershed Conference and developing a "Citizen's Watershed Strategy." The initiative's long-term goal (beyond the grant) is the creation of a Network of watershed groups that can carry out protection and restoration projects, advocate before local and state government bodies, help create new stewardship groups for major Montgomery County watersheds, and awareness among schools, faith institutions, businesses, and other watershed communities. Details about the conference will be in the next issue of the Stormwater Partners Network News.
Maryland Stormwater Act of 2007	While the April 24, 2007 signing of the Stormwater Management Act of 2007 was clearly a victory for our environment, legislators and environmentalist caution that, while an important battle was won, the war continues. Local and regional environmental organizations have collaborated in developing a consensus document that outlines eleven steps that need to be taken by the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) to implement the new law to make it more effective. Click here to learn more about the Maryland Stormwater Act of 2007 and what needs to be done to make it effective: http://stormwaterpartners.org/StormwaterAct2007.htm
Montgomery Road Code Passes with Green Streets Provisions.	The Montgomery County Council voted July 3, 2007, to enact Bill 48-06, Streets and Roads – Comprehensive Revisions (the "Road Code bill"). The road code was updated to include a "Green Streets" provision. The new law mandates that a minimum quantity of stormwater from new and reconstructed county roads be retained and treated on-site, within the road right-of-way, preferably using vegetation-based stormwater management techniques. The new law’s emphasis on "context sensitive design" to meet the needs of all users, not just car and truck drivers, along with its Green Street features, brings Montgomery County into the forefront of the "Complete and Green Streets" movement. Click here to learn more about our efforts to get "Complete and Green Streets": http://stormwaterpartners.org/GreenStreetsPolicy.htm
First Annual Anacostia Watershed Citizens' Summit	The Anacostia watershed groups in Montgomery County (the Eyes of Paint Branch, Neighbors of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia, and Friends of Sligo Creek) were well represented March 24^th at the First Annual Anacostia Citizens' Summit. The all-day event, held at the University of Maryland, brought together the eight organizations representing portions of the Anacostia watershed. This was the first time many of us had an opportunity to discuss cross-watershed issues with representatives from all the watershed groups. The primary objective was to share and discuss priorities, issues, and needs. Common issues across all the watersheds were problems with stormwater runoff and trash in our waterways. We all learned a great deal about what works and what does not work in putting together, running, and growing grassroots organizations. All seventy or so participants thought it would be useful to do again next year.
M-NCPPC Sligo Creek Golf Course Stream Restoration	Over the years, uncontrolled stormwater runoff badly damaged the stream leading to the Sligo Creek golf course stormwater pond. As a result there is little in the way of aquatic life found in the stream. To address the stream damage, M-NCPPC has been implementing a $300,000 stream restoration project on the Sligo Creek Golf Course. The steam restoration project includes dredging 100 cubic yards of sediment from the stormwater pond, creating a shelf along the stream that acts as a floodplain, stabilizing the stream bed erosion, replacing round culverts, adding new or protecting existing meanders, adding cobbles (big stones) in the stream, and incorporating native plantings along the stream. This is a vast improvement, taking a lot of time and effort, but this work only addresses the symptoms of uncontrolled runoff from impervious surfaces throughout the drainage area of this stream. Until the source of the runoff problems is addressed, there will be little improvement in the biological water quality of the stream. Click here to learn more about M-NCPPC's stream restoration efforts: http://stormwaterpartners.org/GolfCourse.htm
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection's Turkey Branch Restoration	The $3,500,000 Turkey Branch Restoration project is the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP's) largest restoration effort to date. On March 15, 2007 DEP staff toured the restoration site with members of the Stormwater Partners Network. The restoration includes the installation stormwater ponds, the use of rain gardens at county and privately owned property and riparian reforestation efforts. For more information on DEP's efforts in subwatershed restoration, see: http://stormwaterpartners.org/TurkeyBranch.htm
Boiling Brook Department of Public Works and Transportation Stream Bank Protection Project.	The Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) recently completed $350,000 stream stabilization of Boiling Brook. The DPWT stream stabilization project included extensive use of gabion baskets of stone along a 1,000 foot segment of Boiling Brook. Stormwater runoff from nearby parking lots, roads, driveways and other hard surfaces was causing serious stream bank erosion along Boiling Brook. The erosion was serious enough to threaten Boiling Brook Parkway and the utilities that run on either side of the brook. Rather than addressing the stormwater runoff at the source, DPWT turned that segment of Boiling Brook into a lifeless drainage ditch. Were alternatives to controlling stormwater runoff seriously considered by DPWT and DEP? Was this the only solution? Click here to learn about this project: http://stormwaterpartners.org/BoilingBrook.htm
Stormwater Partners Network News is published quarterly as an information and outreach effort of the Stormwater Partners Network. Original articles in this publication may be reprinted without our permission, but please credit us as the source. Concerns? Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email mailadmin@stormwaterpartners.org Ed Murtagh, Editor, is a resident of Silver Spring, MD.