Restoration and Protection

Projects

The scope of restoration and protection projects vary from targeted projects that look at a specific problem or stream segment, to watershed-wide efforts that seek to improve conditions throughout a specific watershed, to statewide general restoration efforts.

Targeted Projects

Migratory Fish Passage Assessment - Patapsco (maa_fishsurvey.pdf, 84 KB)

Upper Pocomoke Agricultural Best Management Practice Study (pocomoke_wrd_factsheet.pdf, 147 KB)

Best Management Practices for timber harvest operations (sugarloaf.pdf, 117 KB)

Little Pipe Creek (unionbridge.pdf, 49 KB)

The Tawes Parking Lot Bioretention Facility (parkinglot.pdf, 79 KB)

Montgomery Park Business Center Green Roof. (greenroof.pdf, 98 KB)
Also check out the "Environmental Design" (formerly called "Green Building") section of the DNR web site for more ways to protect the environment.

Watershed Restoration Efforts

Sawmill Creek Watershed Project (sawmill.pdf, 69 KB)

Watershed Restoration Action Strategies: Maryland supports its watershed approach to nonpoint source control, primarily through the Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS) Partnership Program. The program links the state and various local governments to jointly develop the action strategies. WRAS watershed targeting is based on Maryland's Clean Water Action Plan (1998), which called for the assessment of the condition of all the state's waters. The resulting Unified Watershed Assessment (UWA) defined a set of those watersheds that were most in need of restoration Funding for development and implementation of WRASs is provided from both the 319 and Coastal Zone Management Programs.

More information on the WRAS program can be found at: http://www.dnr.state.md/watersheds/surf/proj/wras.html

Georges Creek WRAS (/bay/czm/nps/publications/georges_creek.html)

Anne Arundel County is developing a Watershed Master Plan for the Severn River. Visit their web site for more information:
http://www.severn-river-watershed.com/index.html

General Restoration Efforts

Tributary Strategies: The Strategies provide a pollution control plan unique to each watershed of the 10 major Chesapeake Bay watersheds in Maryland. Among the pollution control options being implemented in each tributary basin are upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, the planting of stream-side forests to absorb nutrient runoff, best management practices to reduce agricultural runoff and "smart growth" plans aimed at concentrating new development and protecting open spaces and natural habitat. This coordinated watershed-by-watershed approach brings the Bay cleanup closer to home for the many citizens, businesses, and local governments working to protect local waterways and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

More information on Maryland's Tributary Strategies can be found at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/tribstrat/

Clean Water Action Plan: The Clean Water Action Plan developed a collaborative effort by state, federal, and local governments, the private sector, and the public to restore those watersheds not meeting clean water and other natural resource goals and to sustain healthy conditions in watersheds that currently meet these goals. The Clean Water Action Plan addresses all aspects of watershed condition: water quality, including public health issues; aquatic living resources; physical habitat, and the landscape. The Planning process involved the uses the best available information to assess the condition of each State's watersheds, identify watersheds in need of restoration, identify watersheds that need preventive action to sustain water quality and aquatic resources, and identify pristine or sensitive watersheds that need extra protection. This process was called the Unified Watershed Assessment (UWA).

More information on Maryland's Clean Water Action Plan can be found at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/cwap/cwap.htm

Watershed Restoration Priorities: Based on the UWA, states established watershed restoration priorities in October 1998. This involved selecting those watersheds not meeting clean water and other natural resource goals and are most in need of restoration actions. Priorities for developing watershed restoration action strategies are based on this designation.

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This page was updated on 4/8/2004