Water & Chesapeake Bay

Improving water quality through storm water management and watershed restoration techniques Watershed Restoration Specialists work with local and state governments, watershed organizations, and community groups in Maryland to build partnerships, identify funding sources, and advise/assist in the planning, implementation and monitoring of restoration projects. Specialists facilitate measurable reductions in water pollution in the following ways:

• Classes and workshops teach homeowners how to improve water quality in their own backyard with practices like rain barrels, rain gardens, and tree planting
• Technical Assistance Programs help communities address Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) regulations and requirements
• Watershed Restoration Projects emerge from collaborative partnerships and effective funding techniques to reduce nutrient and sediment loads
• Watershed Restoration Specialists also connect watershed science to policy makers and community leaders to make the most effective water quality decisions.
• Delivers these programs as part of the Watershed Assistance Collaborative with the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Environmental Finance Center.

Below are links to related programs offered by the University of Maryland Extension:

• Howard County Watershed Stewards Academy
• Water
• Aquaculture
• Riparian Buffer Systems
• Sea Grant

Please contact your local extension office for more information regarding this topic.

Howard County
3300 North Ridge Road
Suite 240
Ellicott City, MD 21043

Hours: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Phone: (410) 313-2707
Fax: (410) 313-2712

Email: arockler@umd.edu