Stream restoration is a complicated and passionate debate for many and can even be quite polarizing. It is not a black and white subject and can contain a lot of grey depending on perspectives. For this reason, Montgomery County has created a webinar series to discuss the topic and various aspects of the County’s restoration program, the techniques used in practice, and future planning efforts.
The webinar series kicked off with an opportunity for residents to speak on stream restoration during a listening session on November 17, 2021 at 7:00 pm moderated by Sadie Drescher, Chesapeake Bay Trust. The session will be recorded, and a summary will be provided to attendees.
The listening session will help shape the remainder of the webinar series (all sessions will be recorded and available to the public). The County values its residents and their experiences and wants to listen and learn from them. We hope you can join us throughout the webinar series so we can learn from each other and ensure Montgomery County has a clear blueprint for restoration success.
November 17, 2021, 7pm -8:30pm
Video recording: https://youtu.be/wsiwxbUPwYQ
The purpose of the listening session is to:
When registering for the listening session consider these 2 questions to help DEP build the remainder of the webinar series:
January 12, 2021, 7pm-8:30pm
Video Recording: https://youtu.be/1w7oCUCyqQ8
Speakers: Scott Lowe, McCormick Taylor, and Solange Filoso, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
The session will include discussion on the topics raised from the Nov. 17th listening session.
The session will begin the dialog of topics raised from the listening session on Nov. 17th
Possible topics include:
February 16, 2022, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Video Recording: https://youtu.be/8oduH6oB-W4
This session continued our dialog and focused on:
March 9, 2022, 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Video Recording: https://youtu.be/UOU-1HxsRRM
The session included:
Stream restoration is complex and as a growing and evolving method can be challenging for both practitioners and the public to understand and achieve success. Overall, stream restoration is performed to improve the environmental health of a river or stream within their present environmental context in support of biodiversity, recreation, flood management and/or landscape development. It’s a difficult balance, particularly in an urban setting, but it focuses on restoring function and value, generally found in stable, natural stream systems which protects aquatic life and the health of our aquatic systems.
Erosion is a natural process but as humans continue to change land use, watershed hydrology is altered. Streams are not static by nature and a “Do Nothing” strategy can result in irreversible and more costly impacts. Restoration practices have changed over time and a technique or method that works in one area may not work in another as research continues to better understand the environmental benefits, impacts and effectiveness of these techniques including floodplain reconnection, stream buffer reforestation and revegetation, which provide long-term protection.
While each project has specific goals, stream restoration is typically designed to:
It is also important to note that practitioners strive to improve and continue to learn from each project.
Hollywood Branch Stream Restoration
Woodlawn Stream Restoration
Why can’t we learn to live with nature instead of making it live according to our standards? Streams are a very common target, inadvertently or through neglect, of our way of living. I don’t believe that making a stream look pretty is improving our natural environment. I suggest cleaning the streams of human waste. Stop using stream valleys as convenient routes for sewage systems pipes, roads, railroads, electrical lines and so forth. Make developers spend more money on treatment systems for runoff from large expansive parking lots and roads.
Agreed. We are up against the greenwashing being done by the multi-billion dollar “stream restoration” industry.