Tag Archive: restoration
Kemp Mill Shallow Marsh Wetland
Wetlands Provide Ecosystem Services Wetlands are often described as the “kidneys of the landscape.” They help remove pollutants from runoff and moderate the flow of water to mitigate floods and
Booze Creek Gets a Face Lift
Nearly 1400 young trees find a new home along Booze Creek As of April 2021, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has completed more than three quarters of the
2020 didn’t slow down the Watershed Restoration team
Its that time of year that our office has come to love. Time to submit our annual report to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for the County’s Municipal Separate
Maintenance and Inspection of Stormwater Best Management Practices
Did you know there are more than 17,000 Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Montgomery County? These stormwater BMPs protect rivers, streams and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay! Stormwater BMPs are
Stormwater Best Management Practices
August is water quality awareness month. At the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) the Watershed Restoration Division’ entire focus is water protection year-round! The Watershed Restoration Division is
Explore County’s water quality restoration work through interactive map and learn ways to save money!
This past June, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) developed an interactive web map with dynamic infographics. The interactive map displays the County’s restoration efforts that have taken
DEP Completes $19M Bay Restoration Grant
We’ve all driven over the American Legion Bridge and seen the muddy Potomac River after a rain storm. Ever wonder what it would take to reduce over 600,000 pounds of
Working together to protect our streams
In 2009, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) embarked on a multifaceted effort to reverse decades of neglect and improve water quality and habitat conditions in a small tributary
Blue Spotlight On: The Muddy Branch Watershed
DEP’s Blue Spotlight On series is a new feature for residents to learn about the County’s local watersheds.This is the second blog in the Blue Spotlight On series (check out
The Muddy Branch Alliance helps keep our waters clean – and wants to get you outside to enjoy them
Did you know that the Muddy Branch stream runs for more than 12 miles, from Gaithersburg High School all the way to the Potomac – and that almost 11 of
Know Your Blooms: Swamp Milkweed
Have you noticed the blooms of swamp milkweed? Starting in June, swamp milkweeds flowers start opening in sunny habitats in the County, such as wet meadows and swales. This includes
Hollywood Branch: A neighborhood stream restored
Located on the east side of Colesville, Hollywood Branch is a tributary in the greater Paint Branch Watershed. From 2008 to 2015, more than 4,400 feet of stream were restored
Restoration Highlight: Valley Park Stormwater Pond. After 32 years, Damascus’s Valley Park Pond receives a face lift!
The year was 1984, and Damascus, like much of the County was in the midst of a growth spurt. As new residential and commercial buildings in and around the Town
A window into the restoration of a stream and pond system: the Bedfordshire Project
Did you know that the Department of Environmental Protection restores streams and creeks throughout Montgomery County? The Restoration Team at DEP has been working on a project to restore a stream
Show your creativity! Enter the 2018 Storm Drain Art Contest
Are you artistic? Do you want to help educate about issues affecting our local streams in Montgomery County? County residents are invited to submit entries into the 2018 Storm Drain
Investing in our community: A look at the first year of watershed grants
In 2016, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, awarded $350,000 in grants to community groups and nonprofit organizations working to improve our
MCPS students learn about bioretention gardens
Doug Marshall, a Watershed Planner with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, recently met with the members of the Green Team Club of Newport Mill Middle School to talk
The 7th annual H2O Summit is Saturday
You’re invited to the H2O Summit this Saturday in Rockville! This free event is focused on connecting residents, nonprofit organizations and government agencies together to share ideas and programs focused on
Nominate to the Community Leader + Stream Volunteer Awards
Montgomery County takes pride in the selfless residents, businesses, civil servants, and students who donate thousands of hours to numerous community service opportunities. Our residents make up a vast community
Over $1 million announced to support stream restoration and stormwater management research
The Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (Montgomery DEP), and
What’s happening along Sligo Creek? An update on Montgomery Parks restoration efforts
If you have been walking along Sligo Creek recently, you may have noticed some of the many water quality improvement projects. Recently, Andy Frank and Matt Harper from Montgomery Parks led
Plant roots meet historic roots at Pleasant View Historic Site
Each day loads of commuters hustle back and forth along Darnestown Road in Gaithersburg. They walk to and fro on the sidewalks, heading for shopping centers and nearby Quince Orchard
Beautifying Breewood: designing to create colorful gardens and improve water quality
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is focused on improving the infrastructure and landscape of communities in order to minimize the damaging effects of stormwater runoff. While stormwater
#AreYouBayAware? Celebrate Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week!
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and Councilmember Craig Rice will proclaim the second week in June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week in Montgomery County. The designation is intended to increase
Greening townhouses with a top-down approach
David Marcus doesn’t just own a townhouse. He also knows how it works. In summer 2015, Marcus and his wife bought a townhome in Takoma Park. But well before that,
Permeable pavers curb pollution (and look great too!)
Water run-off can take several forms. In more rural areas, rain and snow land on farms and carry fertilizer and other pollutants with them to local sewers and, ultimately, water ways.
Did you know? Green Streets are benefiting our streams
The Did You Know? segment of Montgomery County Cable examines various departments, services, programs, and partners of the County government. This episode features the Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Street program.
Green streets drive runoff in the right direction
Its name may evoke something out of a children’s story, but green streets are entirely concrete. The green street is one of the innovative ways that the Montgomery County Department
Tree Montgomery planted hundreds of trees in 2015!
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has planted hundreds of trees this year through Tree Montgomery. This new initiative aims to reverse the loss of tree canopy due
Trees for Sacred Places: People of faith restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed one tree at a time
Montgomery County congregations, faith based retreat centers and schools are being good stewards of the earth by planting trees through the Trees for Sacred Places program offered by Interfaith Partners
Join us for Community Service Week!
For the last 29 years the Montgomery County Volunteer center has been coordinating a county-wide Community Service Week in October. This year’s Community Service Week is from Friday, October 16
Grant opportunity for watershed restoration and outreach
A new grant program is being offered by the Montgomery County Government and the Chesapeake Bay Trust to support watershed restoration and outreach throughout Montgomery County. The goal of this
Yard Trim: Keep Length to Four Feet
To help collection crews be able to take the branches you set out at the curb for them, please prepare branches to meet all of our requirements.
May is American Wetlands Month
How often do you think about wetlands? The answer for many of you will probably be once, maybe, twice a year. And for a few of you, you’ll have tilted your
Meet the County critters: Spotted salamanders
What are Salamanders? Salamanders are amphibians like frogs and toads. Amphibians are cold blooded animals that spend at least part of their life in water. Unlike frogs and toads, salamanders
Rock Creek Conservancy volunteer opportunity for furloughed workers
Rock Creek Conservancy has developed several volunteer and recreational opportunities in the Montgomery Country section of Rock Creek for early October. These county parks, north of the District line, are unaffected by the
Algae blooms in Montgomery County
In late August, 2013, a bright green scum became visible on the water surfaces at Lake Needwood and Lake Frank. This is the result of a very dense ‘bloom’ of
Oyster gardening
Stream Stewards care about the watershed and help out when they can. I am a Montgomery County Stream Steward as well as an oyster gardener for The Chesapeake Bay Foundation
How we greened our church Part II: Making the case
Anyone who has worked on green issues—or in a group of any kind, for that matter—knows that a good idea is only half the battle. If the right people aren’t
The restoration of Lower Booze Creek
As a Stream Steward, I was able to take part in the celebration of the restoration of Lower Booze Creek, along with others in the community. There was a lot
