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
Biodiversity
Green Infrastructure Mapping = Fun For You!
Before we get into what green infrastructure is or what it means for you and your backyard, let me first provide you a little insight into the painstaking process that we went through to produce something fun for you to play around with. (Trust me; it’s pretty cool – even the County Executive is using it.)
After over a year of painstaking mapping in our Arc GIS system (mostly because our server... Read more
July 31, 2014
Howard County Initiatives
Floating Wetlands
This blog was written by Julie Napolitano, intern with The Office of Environmental Sustainability and student at UMD studying Environmental Science-Natural Resource Management. Thank you Julie!
In the mood to enjoy some of the beautiful weather we had last week, I decided to take my son for a walk around Font Hill wetland park near our home. This is one of my favorite places to walk, although I... Read more
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