Howard County’s Watersheds and Waterways
One of the earth’s most vital resources is water, as it serves as a necessary fluid for all living organisms and makes up the majority of the planet. The majority of this water is found in the world’s oceans, which then flows inland through watersheds, areas of land that drain into bodies of water, and waterways, such as rivers, streams and, lakes, underground and marshlands. Watersheds and waterways, therefore, provide a crucial function in maintaining a stable and operative environment. Rework and simplify your thesis statement:It would be beneficial to analyze the watersheds and waterways of Howard County to evaluate the overall ecological status of the region. Howard County has a variety of …show more content…
The majority of the water (75%) in the county finds its way into the Patuxent River, while 25% flows into the Patapsco River. In addition to these two major rivers in the county, there are seven other watersheds in the county: Deep Run, Hammond Branch, Cattail Creek, Middle Patuxent River, Little Patuxent River and Dorsey Run. The Little Patuxent River Watershed is situated in the most developed and populated area of the county in the East, which is located in major towns and cities in the county, including Ellicott City and Columbia. In addition, the southern and eastern regions of the county are primarily suburban communities located in close to the cities of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. Why is their pollution in this region? The rivers in this region(what region?), such as the Little Patuxent, Upper Patuxent and Middle Patuxent are considered polluted by the Maryland Department of the Environment. This pollution is attributed to the storm water runoff that primarily comes from suburban areas, and 25% of nitrogen pollution that is found in rivers comes from polluted runoff (Howard County Packet, …show more content…
It is important to note that Howard County has the greatest amount of impermeable surfaces (18,216 acres) in the entire state of Maryland, which leads to water pollution, as the contaminants are not absorbed before reaching the body of water (Howard County Packet 9). In addition, Howard County residents, which are middle to upper-middle class on average, pay on a relative basis low residential charges in comparison to other, more green-friendly places in the U.S. For instance, Howard County residents pay an average monthly residential charge of $4, while residents in Seattle, Washington pay an average monthly residential charge of $23 (Howard County Packet 10). In fact, there are 1,400 local jurisdictions (where?) that have enacted stormwater fees (Howard County Packet 10). It is also useful to compare Howard County’s water pollution with that of Montgomery County, Maryland since they have similar rankings (what kind of ranking?) and amounts of wealth, and are situated geographically close to each other. Montgomery County also has problems with storm runoff due to impermeable surfaces, but it has the Water Quality Protection Charge, one of the county’s property tax bills, which all property owners have to pay proportionally to fund restoration and reversal projects (Department of Environmental Protection, Montgomery
One of the earth’s most vital resources is water, as it serves as a necessary fluid for all living organisms and makes up the majority of the planet. The majority of this water is found in the world’s oceans, which then flows inland through watersheds, areas of land that drain into bodies of water, and waterways, such as rivers, streams and, lakes, underground and marshlands. Watersheds and waterways, therefore, provide a crucial function in maintaining a stable and operative environment. Rework and simplify your thesis statement:It would be beneficial to analyze the watersheds and waterways of Howard County to evaluate the overall ecological status of the region. Howard County has a variety of …show more content…
The majority of the water (75%) in the county finds its way into the Patuxent River, while 25% flows into the Patapsco River. In addition to these two major rivers in the county, there are seven other watersheds in the county: Deep Run, Hammond Branch, Cattail Creek, Middle Patuxent River, Little Patuxent River and Dorsey Run. The Little Patuxent River Watershed is situated in the most developed and populated area of the county in the East, which is located in major towns and cities in the county, including Ellicott City and Columbia. In addition, the southern and eastern regions of the county are primarily suburban communities located in close to the cities of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. Why is their pollution in this region? The rivers in this region(what region?), such as the Little Patuxent, Upper Patuxent and Middle Patuxent are considered polluted by the Maryland Department of the Environment. This pollution is attributed to the storm water runoff that primarily comes from suburban areas, and 25% of nitrogen pollution that is found in rivers comes from polluted runoff (Howard County Packet, …show more content…
It is important to note that Howard County has the greatest amount of impermeable surfaces (18,216 acres) in the entire state of Maryland, which leads to water pollution, as the contaminants are not absorbed before reaching the body of water (Howard County Packet 9). In addition, Howard County residents, which are middle to upper-middle class on average, pay on a relative basis low residential charges in comparison to other, more green-friendly places in the U.S. For instance, Howard County residents pay an average monthly residential charge of $4, while residents in Seattle, Washington pay an average monthly residential charge of $23 (Howard County Packet 10). In fact, there are 1,400 local jurisdictions (where?) that have enacted stormwater fees (Howard County Packet 10). It is also useful to compare Howard County’s water pollution with that of Montgomery County, Maryland since they have similar rankings (what kind of ranking?) and amounts of wealth, and are situated geographically close to each other. Montgomery County also has problems with storm runoff due to impermeable surfaces, but it has the Water Quality Protection Charge, one of the county’s property tax bills, which all property owners have to pay proportionally to fund restoration and reversal projects (Department of Environmental Protection, Montgomery