Press Releases
Montgomery County Joins in Celebration of Fourth Annual Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
For Immediate Release: Monday, June 10, 2019
Montgomery County, which is a region-wide leader in programs to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, will join in the celebration of the fourth annual Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week with a ceremony at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, June 11, that will include the presentation of a joint proclamation on behalf of County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Council.
The ceremonies, which will be led by County Councilmember Craig Rice, will take place during the Council’s regular session at the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.
In 2016, the Chesapeake Bay Commission championed the notion of designating the second week of June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Legislation establishing the special week was enacted in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Although Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week this year technically ran from June 1–9, making the Bay cleaner and healthier is an everyday, year-round challenge
By geographic definition, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed runs approximately 200 miles north-south from Havre de Grace, Md., to Norfolk, Va. The Bay is formed by fresh water from rivers and streams flowing into the ocean, mixing with sea water. More than 18 million people live, work and play in the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
“The Chesapeake Watershed is one of the greatest natural resources on the East Coast,” said County Executive Elrich. “We are working hard to bring the Bay back to health. We have work to do—both as government and as individuals. It is important to remember that individual actions—like planting a tree and transitioning to organic lawn care—collectively make a big impact not only on the health of the Bay, but also on our local streams.”
Starting with programs in neighborhoods whose storm drain runoff eventually flows to the Bay, Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has implemented programs aimed at improving water quality in local streams.
“When it comes to protecting—and improving—the health of the Chesapeake Bay, it all starts simply with rain water in every community,” said DEP Director Adam Ortiz. “Our department has many programs to address stormwater runoff and improving our watersheds. Everything we do to make people aware of the critical role they play in protecting the Bay is important.”
Montgomery County and other local jurisdictions, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and water utilities across the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area are joining to commemorate Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Activities and education programming during the week are designed to raise awareness of the successes and challenges that remain in working to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its fragile ecosystem.
Details on the County’s ongoing watershed protection efforts can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/water/
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Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-777-6532