UPDATE: Council Votes to protect Reserve from Sewer Sprawl- Thank your Councilmembers!

3/31/2018

Protecting the Ag Reserve and rural transition zones from sprawl helps maintain water quality

Update - May 1

The Council is still working on the details of the County's Ten Year Water and Sewer Plan. They are making sure that home owners with septic systems in rural residential areas have all the tools needed should they experience or clearly be at risk of septic failure. Important stuff.

Council will take this up again in June. Stay tuned...

The Montgomery County Council today voted 5-4 in favor of the Elrich Amendment to the Water and Sewer Plan.

This is good news for our rural communities and Ag Reserve. The Elrich Amendment is aimed at preventing unnecessary sewer sprawl, which threatens our clean stream areas with higher-density urban development, sewage spills, leaky sewer pipes, and stormwater pollution. Cheers to those who took action and our partners including West Montgomery Civic Asso., Conservation Montgomery, MC Sierra Club, Potomac Conservancy, Audubon Naturalist Society. 🌟Our core team: Diane Cameron, Ken Bawer and Susanne Lee. The best!

Protecting Regional Water Resources: Now More Than Ever

4/25/2017

Dry spring soil at Mckee Beshers - 2012

Update: The ICPRB (Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin has just released a new comprehensive plan for the region's water needs in the coming decades.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
Did you know that the DC region is currently operating without a regional water supply plan?
The Little Seneca Reservoir and many other water projects were built as part of a 50-year plan for water supply to the DC metro area, a plan which expired in 2010. We need a water supply plan for the next 50 years that considers diminishing water supplies in the context of an increasing urban population as well as the increasing severity of droughts. Read on for how climate change makes the need for careful planning even more dire. On our 2017 work plan is a collaborative effort to push for a plan for our precious water resources for the next 50 years and beyond. Help us make that happen with your gift today.

What effect will climate change have on the Washington region’s water resources?

According to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin – Plenty.

Their report indicates that by 2040 climate change could cut stream flows by as much as 35% on an annual average.Science should inform the region’s planning and goals of resource protection.

AP Coverage

Some more resources about our coming water crisis:

How Maryland is adapting its drinking water plans to climate change
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin Climate Change Fact Sheet
EPA Addressing Climate Change in the Water Sector
A Case Study: The City of Frederick's plan for addressing Climate Change Impacts on Watersheds
Water Storage:
Evaluation of Travilah Quarry for Water Supply Storage (Phase 1 and 2)
The Journal of the American Water Resources Association- "Benefits of Water Supply Forecasting in the Washington, DC area.
Montgomery County Park and Planning Water Resources Functional Plan (May 2010)

Sharing Resources and Their Protection: Poolesville and the Reserve

1/24/2017

Update:
The Developer of the proposed Wilshire project has now proposed 75 homes on 13 acres - still too big! In partnership with our friends at Protect our Poolesville (POP) - we've prepared a petition. Take one minute to support a sustainably sized Poolesville (and please share!)

Sign the Petition

Poolesville, Maryland is a small municipality located within the Ag Reserve. The Reserve's sole source of water, The federally designated Piedmont Aquifer, serves Poolesville as well. The aquifer is currently adequate in quantity and quality but it is fragile, subject to overuse and contamination, and must be guarded. Beautiful rustic roads serve the Reserve and Poolesville. The Poolesville Cluster schools serve residents of the Reserve. So when discussion of ultra dense development proposals is undertaken, it is within our mission to lean in to ensure that care is given to protecting shared resources. And so we did recently when a proposal to develop a 13 acre parcel next to the Town green "Whalen Commons" with 93 or more homes landed. Members who are Town residents as well as members who live nearby in the Reserve asked for help. We have partnered with the newly formed Protect Our Poolesville to engage a land use consultant Richard Klein, provided groundwater material including recent water availability forecasts, and presented at public gatherings.

PoP has engaged the candidates currently vying for 3 seats on the Poolesville Town Commission through an online candidates survey in order for the Town residents to better know their positions on growth and resource protection.

Understanding and Protecting Ag Reserve Groundwater

9/27/2016

Montgomery County’s Ag/Openspace Reserve is, by design, wholly outside the WSSC service area. Reserve residents, farms and businesses rely on ground water from the federally protected Piedmont Sole Source Aquifer- which also stretches into Frederick, Howard and Caroll Counties. According to the EPA, because the aquifer has just one source and serves such a wide swath of communities, the aquifer ”if contaminated, would pose a significant hazard to public health.”Whether you reside, work or play in the Reserve, understanding the finite and fragile nature of this high quality resource is important. We can all work to protect it and continue to enjoy it’s high quality sustainably.

See these links for more information.
Town of Poolesville Wellhead Protection Zone
USGS Water Science Center
MDE Groundwater Protection Program
National Groundwater Association
Montgomery County Water Resources Master Plan Appendix

Sewer vs. Septic - It's Complicated

5/5/2016

by Kristina Bostick

The pros and cons of public sewer treatment vs individual septic is a complicated subject. One thing is clear: Public sewer systems do leak and when they do, they leak big.

Don't Flush Ten Mile Creek Protections!

1/15/2015

by Kristina Bostick

Sewer Plan Threatens Ten Mile Creek

Important Sewer Meeting: Show your support for keeping sewers out of Ten Mile Creek by attending the first meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the WSSC Clarksburg-Ten Mile Creek Sewer Study on Thursday, Feb 12th from 7-9pm. The meeting will take place at the Montgomery County Government Upcounty Regional Services Center, Room A (12900 Middlebrook Road, Suite 1000, Germantown, Maryland 20874). The public is invited to attend and there will be time at the end of the meeting for public comment. Three board members of the Friends of Ten Mile Creek are on the Citizens Advisory Committee and we welcome you to attend and show your support. And if you can't make this meeting, don't worry -- there will be others so please stay tuned.

2014 Wrap Up

11/7/2014

by Kristina Bostick

What has MCA done for me lately? Well...

Our Shared Environmental Resources

Supporting a Strong Ag Sector
Connecting New and Expanding Farmers with Land

Strengthening the Producer Community with a Listserve and Summits
Successfully Pushing for a New Farm Pilot Program
Proud Lead Organization of the Farming at Metro's Edge Conference
Supporting A proposed year-round daily farmers market in North Potomac
Connecting farmers with new opportunities under the new County Zoning Code

Community
Producing "Growing Legacy" film about the Reserve for students and the public
Creating an Ag Reserve Candidate Questionnaire/Voter Resource
Creating an Ag Education Pilot - 180 students reached so farHelping to Found the MoCo Food Council Keeping Monocacy Elementary Open

Zoning
No Commercial Recreation or Camps in the Ag Reserve
No Sewer Extension for Mega Churches
Battling Back Plans for Massive Cell Towers

Currently working on supporting new farm businesses and expansion of sourcing local farm products in County stores/restaurants. We are pushing to add to our farmland inventory for the LandLink program. Our education initiative has expanded and we are working with MC Farm Bureau to secure funding for mobile ag science lab for the use of the County's elementary schools. How about that! Every elementary school student should have exposure to what farming is all about and why our Ag Reserve is so special.

And the list goes on and on... help us add more victories to this list- join MCA - a yearly membership is just $25

News

UPDATE: Council Votes to protect Reserve from Sewer Sprawl- Thank your Councilmembers!

The Montgomery County Council today voted 5-4 in favor of the Elrich Amendment to the Water and Sewer Plan.

Protecting Regional Water Resources: Now More Than Ever

Sharing Resources and Their Protection: Poolesville and the Reserve

Understanding and Protecting Ag Reserve Groundwater

Sewer vs. Septic - It's Complicated

Don't Flush Ten Mile Creek Protections!

Sewer Plan Threatens Ten Mile Creek

2014 Wrap Up

Categories

Archives

News

UPDATE: Council Votes to protect Reserve from Sewer Sprawl- Thank your Councilmembers!

The Montgomery County Council today voted 5-4 in favor of the Elrich Amendment to the Water and Sewer Plan.

Protecting Regional Water Resources: Now More Than Ever

Sharing Resources and Their Protection: Poolesville and the Reserve

Understanding and Protecting Ag Reserve Groundwater﻿

Sewer vs. Septic - It's Complicated

Don't Flush Ten Mile Creek Protections!

​Sewer Plan Threatens Ten Mile Creek

2014 Wrap Up

Categories

Archives

Understanding and Protecting Ag Reserve Groundwater

Sewer Plan Threatens Ten Mile Creek