Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week takes place this year from June 3 to 11 and is a time to celebrate the cultures, history and natural beauty of the nation’s largest estuary.
Introduction Can animals that look like rocks and are capable of trickery and bloodsucking have a positive effect on water quality? What if those same animals had common names like
Introduction Marbled salamanders are marvelous critters. These thin-skinned, cold-blooded salamanders – and frogs and toads – survive winters without coats. That’s amazing. Salamanders can lose a leg or tail and
Introduction Picture this: an ancient adult stonefly lands on a stegosaurus. The stegosaurus doesn’t notice. The stonefly is looking for a mate, not a huge dinosaur, and it flies away.
Introduction “Look! Right there! Under that rock in the middle of the stream! Is that a lobster?” Nope. It’s a crayfish, the smaller freshwater cousin of the lobster. You can’t
Introduction Eels have mystified people from Aristotle who thought they developed from earthworms to young Sigmund Freud who couldn’t find what makes a male eel a male and who switched
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
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
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
Salt is useful because it is inexpensive and somewhat effective in breaking down ice and snow on our roads. Following a storm, major roads need to be safe and passable.
Pervious Pavement: What is it? Pervious pavement is a system for reducing stormwater runoff, ensuring less pollutants enter our waterways, as well as reducing the use of deicing chemicals during
Have you ever heard of the Poop Fairy? No? Probably because there is no such thing. Pet owners across Montgomery County are responsible for picking up their pet’s waste when
What is the Problem? Litter in our communities is detrimental local wildlife as it pollutes streams. Litter can be any piece of trash that is not put into the correct
Did you know that September 18th is World Water Monitoring Day? Since 1995 Montgomery County has maintained a stream monitoring program. As a result, the program has tracked water quality
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
If you look closely, you will find many beautifully painted storm drains across Montgomery County with messages highlighting the importance of clean water and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. These designs
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
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
Many storm drains in Montgomery County lead straight to streams, which then feed into larger streams and rivers and eventually lead to the Chesapeake Bay. We pass these storm drains
…And we have proof! Bill Wydro, a board members of the Regency Estates Citizens Association conducts periodic litter patrols of his neighborhood. One area routinely checked is Snakeden Creek, next
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