Lower Potomac / Little Falls Watershed Study Public Meeting
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Transcript of Lower Potomac / Little Falls Watershed Study Public Meeting
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Watershed Assessmentand Implementation
Little Falls and Lower Potomac Direct
February 27, 2014
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/watershedrestoration
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IntroductionsDarian Copiz
Watershed Planner, Montgomery County DEPPamela Rowe
RainScapes Program Specialist, Montgomery County DEPLeslie Wilcox
Outreach Planner, Montgomery County DEPRebecca Winer-Skonovd
Water Resources Scientist, Brown & Caldwell
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Today’s AgendaWatershed 101What is the County Doing to Protect our Streams?Purpose of this Public MeetingWatershed Study ProcessScheduleQuestions
Watershed 101Sources of Water
About 97% is salt waterAbout 2% is frozenOnly 1% is available for drinking water
Across the Country, about 57% comes from surface water sources In Maryland, 74% is from surface water sources
Potential for greater impacts from runoff in Maryland
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Watershed 101Montgomery County, MD507 sq. miles1,000,000 people
Second only to Baltimore City withinMaryland in average people per square mile
184 languages spokenAbout 12% impervious surface overall
About the size of Washington DCOver 1,500 miles of streamsTwo major river basins:
Potomac Patuxent
Eight local watersheds
District of Columbia
ImperviousNot allowing water to soak
through the ground
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Watershed 101What is a Watershed?A watershed is an area from which
the water above and below ground drains to the same place.
Different scales of watersheds:Chesapeake BayEight local watershedsNeighborhood (to a storm drain)
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Watershed 101What is Runoff?Water that does not soak into the
ground becomes surface runoff. Runoff flows over hard surfaces like rooftops, driveways and parking lots collecting potential contaminants and flows:Directly into streams Into storm drain pipes, then streams Into BMPs, then streams
Two Major Issues:Volume/Timing of Runoff
Water Quality
Watershed 101Urban Impacts to Streams
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Eroded Stream Banks
Polluted Runoff from Parking Lots
Failing Infrastructure
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Watershed 101What is the County doing toprotect and restore our Streams?Must meet regulatory requirements
Federal Clean Water Act permit programMS4 = Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
Applies to all large and medium Maryland jurisdictionsCounty Program Goals
Restore our streams and watersheds Add runoff management
Meet water quality protection goals (TMDLs) Reduce pollutants getting into our streams
Educate and engage all stakeholders Individual actions make a difference
Focus on watersheds showing greatest impacts
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Montgomery County MS4 AreaMunicipal Separate Storm Sewer System
Does not include Gaithersburg, Rockville, or Takoma Park
Does not include MNCPPC, WSSC, Federal or State properties
Does not include agricultural lands
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Watershed 101What is a TMDL?It’s a Pollution Diet
Total Maximum Daily LoadMaximum amount of
pollutant that can be received by a water body and still meet standards
Set by MDE and approved by EPA
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What is the County Doing to Restore our Streams?DEP must add stormwater management for 20% of impervious
surfaces (4,292 acres = 6.7 square miles)About three times the size of Takoma Park.That’s equivalent to 3,307 football fields!Progress during this Permit Cycle (ends February 2015)
Equivalent of 400 impervious acres added or under construction2,815 acres through projects under design
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Status of County Watershed Studies
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Purpose of this MeetingPresent watershed study
process and areas identified for project development
Receive feedback on watershed study andareas identified for project development
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Watershed Study Process1. Identify Watershed2. Data Collection3. Data Analysis and Prioritize Projects4. Draft Watershed Assessment5. Public Meeting6. Finalize and Publish Watershed Assessment7. Watershed Implementation Plan
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Identify WatershedLower Potomac DirectDrainage Area includes >7,500 acres
Rock Run subwatershedRock Run Imperviousness = 11%Notable developments include Potomac,
Great Falls and Cabin JohnLand Use; mix of open land, forest,
institutional, low density residentialStream habitat is generally good b/c of
forested stream valleysDespite this, biological community showing signs
of impairment
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Identify WatershedLittle FallsDrainage area > 5,000 acresImperviousness = 25%One of the County’s most urban watersheds
and contains some of the oldest developed areas of the County
Land Use: dominated by medium density residential
Stream conditions are generally poor due to uncontrolled stormwater runoff
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Data CollectionUpland AssessmentsRainScapes NeighborhoodsNew Best Management Practices (BMPs)Reforestation Sites
Stream Corridor AssessmentErosionInadequate Buffers
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Data CollectionLower Potomac and Little Falls MS4 Area
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Upland AssessmentsDesktop AnalysisLarge stormwater outfallsLarge contiguous
impervious surfacesNeighborhoods
With civic associations & good communication structure
with HOAsmedium sized lotshigh property ownership
Large unforested areasFocus in the MS4 area
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Upland AssessmentsField Assessments
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Stream AssessmentsDesktop AnalysisStream corridors not
previously assessed
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Stream AssessmentsField Assessments
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Data AnalysisLower Potomac Direct
Little Falls
Assessment # of Assessed UnitsStreams 6 Stream Miles
New Best Management Practices 47 Sites (e.g., parking lot)RainScapes Neighborhoods 6 / 860 Neighborhoods / Properties
Reforestation Areas 1 Sites (e.g., unforested lots)
Assessment # of Assessed UnitsStreams 32 Stream Miles
New Best Management Practices 7 Sites (e.g., parking lot)RainScapes Neighborhoods 5 / 1073 Neighborhoods / Properties
Reforestation Areas 7 Sites (e.g., unforested lot)
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Prioritize ProjectsRanking Factors:Potential EffectivenessFeasibilityAccessibilityStream ConditionPublic Input
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Draft Watershed AssessmentUpland ConceptsRainScapes NeighborhoodsNew Best Management Practices
Stream Restoration Concepts
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Watershed Implementation PlanIdentifies stormwater management projects, watershed
restoration projects and programmatic actionsEstimates potential pollutant load reductionDetermines ability to meet applicable TMDLsProvided a schedule and cost estimate for meeting TMDLs
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WE ARE HERE
Watershed Assessmentand ImplementationProject Schedule (Tentative)
Step Anticipated Dates
1. Identify Watershed Fall 2012
2. Data Collection Summer 2013
3. Data Analysis and Prioritize Projects Fall 2013
4. Draft Watershed Assessment Winter 2014
5. Public Meeting Winter 2014
6. Finalize and Publish Watershed Assessment Summer 2014
7. Implementation Plan Summer 2014
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Questions?
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Darian Copiz240-777-7774 [email protected] Webpage:www.montgomerycountymd.gov/watershedrestoration