Montgomery Parks is addressing water pollution by implementing best practices to prevent contaminants from entering local waterways through stormwater runoff, as required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
Examples of these best practices and other progress towards meeting the requirements of this permit are demonstrated in their sixth annual NPDES report submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) at the end of October.
Montgomery Parks’ achievements include impervious area restorations accomplished through efforts such as stormwater retrofits, impervious surface removals, tree plantings, stream restorations, and outfall stabilization projects. Other efforts include the development of educational programming and volunteer events designed to raise awareness about pollution prevention among park staff and patrons. Key achievements highlighted in the annual report include:
- Trash Removal from Streams: 7,000 volunteers removed over 240,000 pounds of trash from streams located on parkland, which significantly reduces the amount of trash that could flow into the Chesapeake Bay.
- Recently Completed Micro-Bioretention: A new stormwater facility at Nolte Local Park treats a previously untreated parking lot.
- Water Quality Concerns Hotline: A dedicated hotline continues to serve park staff and patrons reporting water quality concerns or pollution discovered on parkland. If you suspect pollution in Montgomery Parks, please call (301) 495-3582.
- Outfall Screening: Over 100 outfalls were inspected to identify and eliminate illicit sources of pollution.
- Pollution Prevention Training: An annual training session was conducted for hundreds of park staff to raise awareness and promote best practices for day-to-day operations.
- Weed Warriors Program: Volunteers tackled non-native invasive species without pesticides and successfully saved over 18,000 trees from invasive vines.
- Water-Related Programming: Montgomery Parks Nature Centers offered over 400 programs and activities about water conservation engaging over 9,000 participants, including a Creek Week camp for kids.
“Protecting our waterways is a top priority,” said Kyndal Gehlbach, the NPDES program coordinator at Montgomery Parks. “Our park system was built around the streams that run through our county. This progress report reflects our ongoing efforts to improve water quality and engage the community and park staff in meaningful initiatives to eliminate pollution from the streams we are charged to steward.”
Montgomery Parks is dedicated to ongoing efforts to improve water quality and eliminate pollution. The report documents Montgomery Parks’ achievements towards meeting the goals of the permit and reinforces a long-standing commitment to environmental protection and implementing strategies to improve water quality.
About the NPDES Permit Program:
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was established in 1972 by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and helps address water pollution across the country by regulating discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States. The NPDES permit program is administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which authorizes the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to implement the program and retain oversight responsibilities.
Courtesy Montgomery Parks