FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > Paint Branch Stream Restoration Plan
L -- you could note that improved watershed stream valleys like this one offer direct recreational benefits to local people, improve drainage by sweeping moisture toward the large receptive water bodies, and offer the charm of wildlife habitat. Just one way to address in part that difficult reader.
I still hope you will share with Mark Stewart.
I still hope you will share with Mark Stewart.
May 8, 2016 |
Marybeth Shea
Marybeth Shea
The Paint Branch Stream is a heavily human impacted waterway running through Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Nutrient, chemical, and sediment run-off, along with other forms of pollution from nearby development and human activities, have degraded the biological diversity and function of the stream. Streams are a critical part of the larger ecosystem, and in Maryland a contributing factor to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Restoration attempts have been made to the Paint Branch Stream within in the past five years, primarily in the form of in-stream structures meant to alter flow. Recent research in the emerging field of restoration ecology, as well as case studies of other urban streams, have shown that the most effective means of restoring a stream’s biological health involve intervention beyond restoring flow patterns. For the future health of the Paint Branch Stream and connecting waterways, further restoration should consider the ecological perspective; incorporating vegetation planting, sediment trapping, and preventative measures to reduce run-off, and continued monitoring.
WC=166
Reader’s Profile: I imagine my reader to be a citizen concerned that their tax money is being spent on a tiny stream that they don’t interact with or particularly care about.
Reader’s Response:
Who is going to pay to plant all those trees or do all of those water tests? In the long run, why does it really matter if one small stream isn’t as “healthy” as some scientist thinks it should be? I’d rather more of my money go to schools or better public transit than this. More stuff is going to keep getting built around PG county anyway, its not like development is stopping so why put money into this stream now? I guess if it could be done through a non-profit or volunteer work it would be nice, but I don’t think this is something the local government should be investing resources in. Worry about the people before the water.