Blog
Want to know the hot topics in Howard County stormwater? Click here to have our blog sent to your inbox every 2 weeks—we’ll give you the rundown on runoff. Learn about people, places, and things in Howard County stormwater management. Don’t be impervious to the stormwater facts!
July 31, 2014
How You Can Help
Raindrops Keep Falling
I got a new poster for my office that stares at me each morning when I arrive to work. The message is short but thought provoking. It reads: IRRESPONSIBILITY: No Single Raindrop Believes It Is To Blame for the Flood. Think about that for a minute. The message puts the challenge of stormwater management in simple perspective. For the record, it is not just raindrops and the flood but also the... Read more
July 31, 2014
Volunteering
International Coastal Cleanup
Well, we weren’t coastal or international, but we were out there. As part of this world-wide effort, some great Howard County volunteers spent a few hours on a Saturday morning cleaning up a stream and the stream banks around it.
One interesting thing about the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is the data collection. Usually when we do our Howard County cleanups we track the weight of trash... Read more
July 31, 2014
Best Management Practices
Rain, Rain Go Away…. Oh Wait, Not Until You Fill My Rain Barrel!
Prior to installing my rain barrel, rainy days went unappreciated. As a kid, rain meant I couldn’t run around in the yard. As an adult it meant I had to schlep my umbrella, get my shoes wet, and likely spend the day with frizzy hair.
Luckily for me and my joy of simple pleasures, I was home the first time it rained after installing the barrel. I jumped out of bed, tossed on my rain coat and... Read more
July 31, 2014
How You Can Help
World Water Monitoring Day
Ah, back to school time. Many parents in Howard County are doing dances of joy or are dreading the things that come with it like waking up grumpy kids, nagging over homework, etc. So I want to get to you all while you are still eager and fresh to recommend an activity that is easy to do in a school setting, or on your own.
World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international program for... Read more
July 31, 2014
Best Management Practices
Rain Management 101 – The Stormwater Challenge
This post was written by Jim Caldwell, the new Stormwater Manager with Howard County’s Office of Environmental Sustainability. Welcome, Jim!
As a college undergraduate my major was wildlife biology. I enjoyed studying the life histories of animals, the evolutionary changes that helped species adapt, and the ecologic principles that made it all possible. Many of my classmates took a more... Read more