DoE held a public meeting to inform and engage the community in the County’s development of the latest local TMDL restoration plans that met the County’s permit requirements under their 2014 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The meeting provided an opportunity for the public to directly pose questions regarding the proposed restoration activities. See below for meeting materials for this public meeting.

• Agenda
• Presentation

DoE held a public information meeting for County citizens and stakeholders to learn about the Western Branch Restoration Plan. At the meeting, DoE explained the draft plan and described on-the-ground practices and programmatic strategies that will need to be implemented to meet pollutant reduction goals.

• Agenda
• Presentation

DoE held two public informational meetings in July 2014 and an additional public meeting in November 2014 to inform and engage the community in the County’s development of the five local TMDL restoration plans that met the County’s permit requirements under their 2014 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The meetings also provided an opportunity for the public to directly pose questions regarding the proposed restoration activities. See below for meeting materials for these public meetings.

A total maximum daily load (TMDL) establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant that waterbody can receive while still meeting state water quality standards. The restoration plans are strategies for addressing and managing urban stormwater (i.e., water from rainstorms) to restore and protect the County's water bodies. The plans for each of the local watersheds includes requirements to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- (EPA-) approved TMDL and the Chesapeake Bay TMDL requirements.

In 2010, EPA established the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Each state in the Chesapeake Bay watershed were required to develop Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) that serve as a guide for meeting the pollution-reduction targets in the Chesapeake Bay. So that Maryland can inform EPA about actions taken to reduce pollution in the state, MDE included the requirement to develop restoration plans in the County's NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.

In 2014, the County developed and is currently implementing restoration plans that serve as blueprints for improving water quality and meeting pollutant reduction goals called for in approved local TMDLs. Each plan describes the pollutants and sources of those pollutants specific to each water body, the land uses and natural features in the watershed, a method for determining the amount of pollutant reductions that need to be achieved and targeted pollutant reduction strategies for each watershed. The strategies include both programmatic initiatives (e.g., pet waste campaign, street sweeping) as well as on-the-ground, pollution-reducing best management practices (BMPs).

The County is continuing to perform restoration planning. In 2018, a restoration plan was developed for the Western Branch watershed. The County is developing additional restoration plans to address local TMDLs in the Lower Patuxent, Middle Patuxent, and tidal Patuxent River watersheds.

To review a restoration plan, click on the name below. Also available are additional materials created during the 2014 restoration plan development.