Tag Archive: water

Yard care tips for the fall

Fall is one of the best times to improve your lawn, trees, shrubs, and garden. The basic maintenance you do during this “second spring” will pay off in healthier growth

Stream Critters – Yellow Lance Mussel

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

Stream Critters – Marbled Salamander

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

Stream Critters – Giant Stonefly

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.

Stream Critters – Acuminate Crayfish

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

Stream Critters

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

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

Winter starts the new garden year

Gardeners know: when the days start to lengthen, it’s time to get back to the garden. One of the typical garden activities of winter is ordering seeds and plants. Another

Signs of Spring: Fish!

Signs of spring are beginning to appear but, what makes it springtime? Who you ask will determine the answer you receive. If they are like most of my friends, it

#MontgomeryPlogs – Join the Challenge

What the PLOG is Plogging?  In celebration of Energy Action Month which takes place annually in October and Storm Water Awareness Week, October 18-24, 2020, Montgomery Energy Connection launched the

Road Salt is a Problem

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.

15 in Fifteen Energy and Water Trivia Game

In celebration of Energy Awareness Month, October 2020, Montgomery Energy Connection will be hosting several 15 in Fifteen Trivia Games in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

15 in Fifteen Energy and Water Trivia Game

In celebration of Energy Awareness Month, October 2020, Montgomery Energy Connection will be hosting several 15 in Fifteen Trivia Games in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

The Power of Scooping Poop

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

Monitoring Montgomery County’s Streams

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

Energize with 15 in Fifteen!

Introducing Montgomery Energy Connection’s ‘Energize with 15 in Fifteen!’ virtual trivia game! In celebration of October Energy Action Month, we are excited to offer the Montgomery County community this electrifying,

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

Water and Energy: They Go Together

Water is one of the most important and precious commodities on the planet. But reducing your usage can do more than help keep Mother Earth out of peril – it

Plan Now for Garden Success

With the holidays behind and the slower pace of winter taken hold, this is a great time to reflect on your garden goals for the coming year, including plans for

H2O Summit

H 2O Summit Set for Nov. 2nd, 2019 at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Dr, Rockville, MD 20850 Taking pride in local water quality, networking, and learning about what

Yellow Lance Mussel in Montgomery County!

In 2015, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Biological Monitoring team found a yellow lance mussel (Elliptio lanceolate) while conducting a fish survey on the Hawlings River. The yellow

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
Image of a garden that utilizes green landscaping techniques.

Rethink your yard

Have you thought about your yard lately? I mean REALLY thought about it? Are you getting all the environmental, social and aesthetic benefits that you could from the place you