As a landowner, how can I best protect water/stream quality?
A. Many activities can degrade water quality, from forest harvesting to land development to dumping of anything into waterways, including storm drains. Landowners can use a variety of “Bay friendly” practices to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, such as minimizing the amount of paved surfaces and planting trees and shrubs to reduce the amount of lawn area. Along streams, landowners can help by reducing mowing as far as possible from streams and by allowing natural vegetation to grow. These stream “buffers” help control runoff, filter pollutants, stabilize stream banks, and provide wildlife habitat. For more information, call PCRE at 410-887-5683.
