WATERSHED PLANNING

Watershed-based planning provides the framework to coordinate environmental planning in the County. Watershed planning and management includes all of the activities related to preserving, protecting and restoring the streams, wetlands, forests and other natural resources within a watershed. Howard County lies within the watersheds of two major tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay, the Patuxent and Patapsco Rivers. Approximately three-quarters of the County is within the Patuxent River watershed and the remaining quarter is within the Patapsco River watershed. The map below shows the nine major watersheds in the County.

As part of the process for developing watershed restoration plans, information must be collected about existing water quality and habitat conditions. The County has conducted stream corridor assessment surveys and biological water quality monitoring in all of the major County watersheds. The full stream corridor assessment and biological monitoring reports are available on the Department of Public Works, Stormwater Management Division web page at: Bureau of Stormwater Management.

Lower Patapsco Watershed Restoration Action Strategy

In 2005, Howard County Government received a grant for $40,000 and other services from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to develop a watershed restoration action strategy (WRAS) for the Lower Patapsco River watershed. The goal of the WRAS was to develop a work plan to restore and protect water quality and habitat in the watershed. The WRAS was developed by Howard County Government in partnership with the watershed’s environmental and community organizations, and other federal and State agencies. The Lower Patapsco WRAS final report was issued in March 2006 and is provided below.

The Lower Patapsco River watershed is located in the northeastern portion of Howard County and includes parts of Ellicott City and Elkridge. Major tributaries to the Lower Patapsco River include Sucker Branch, the Tiber-Hudson, Rockburn Branch and Deep Run. Maps of the watershed and subwatersheds are provided below.

As part of the WRAS, more detailed assessments were conducted for the Sucker Branch and Rockburn Branch subwatersheds. The full reports from these assessments are available below.

The public was encouraged to participate in the WRAS process through a series of workshops. Public workshops were held in October 2004, June 2005 and March 2006. The workshops gave watershed residents, businesses and organizations an opportunity to learn about the watershed’s history, and current water quality and habitat conditions, and discuss their priorities for protecting and restoring the watershed. Workshop meeting summaries are posted below.

Little Patuxent River Watershed Restoration Action Strategy

The Little Patuxent River Watershed Restoration Action Strategy was issued January 2002. This report presents a watershed restoration plan and implementation strategy that will serve as a workplan for protecting and restoring water quality and habitat, and for addressing the need for environmental outreach and education within the watershed.

The Little Patuxent WRAS directed that more detailed assessments be done for the Little Patuxent River subwatersheds. As a result, subwatershed studies were done for Centennial Lake and Wilde Lake. This report is available on the Department of Public Works, Stormwater Management Division web page at: Bureau of Stormwater Management.

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Patuxent Reservoirs Watershed Protection Group

Howard County works cooperatively with Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Howard Soil Conservation District, and Montgomery Soil Conservation District to protect the Patuxent Reservoirs watershed. The Rocky Gorge and Triadelphia Reservoirs are a major regional drinking water supply source. Approximately half of the reservoirs watershed lies within Howard County. Watershed protection activities include: water quality monitoring; implementing agricultural best management practices, stormwater retrofits and stream channel restoration; and public outreach and education. These activities are documented in the Patuxent Reservoirs Watershed Annual Report 2006, available on the WSSC web page at: WSSC Environmental Reports.

Howard County’s major initiatives in the Patuxent Reservoirs watershed include the Cherry Creek watershed restoration project, biological monitoring and public outreach activities. The first round of biological monitoring was conducted in the Brighton Dam and Cattail Creek watersheds in 2001 and in the Rocky Gorge watershed in 2003. A second round of monitoring was conducted in the Brighton Dam and Cattail Creek watersheds in 2005. The biological monitoring reports are available on the Department of Public Works, Stormwater Management Division web page at: Bureau of Stormwater Management. Public outreach activities include support for the Patuxent Reservoirs annual Earth Month events and a fall Campfire Program. Additional information about these events is available on the WSSC web page at: Earth Month Activities.