Preserving the Patuxent River requires state and local officials to better plan for development and fund the enforcement of regulations, according to a local environmental group.
“Because of development, the river has started to backslide in its water quality,” said Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, executive director of Patuxent Riverkeeper, an advocacy nonprofit.
In a report released Monday, the group listed 23 recommendations for restoring the Patuxent River, such as updating growth plans to include where development should occur and where land should be preserved.
Counties? zoning should ensure minimal development in preservation areas, such as allowing one house per 25 acres, according to the report.
“Now is when the counties should take bold steps,” Bevan-Dangel said.
Without increased funding, officials will be unable to enforce laws and regulations properly, according to the report. Regulatory agencies, such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, are facing staffing shortages that cripple enforcement.
Those that affect the river, such as developers, should pay higher fees and fines to fund these programs, Bevan-Dangel said.
With a focus on development and urban runoff, the Patuxent Riverkeeper?s report puts a new focus on the counties closer to the source of the river, said Del. Elizabeth Bobo, D-Howard, a member of the House Environmental Matters Committee.
“Most of the work has been done in the counties at the mouth of the river,” said Bobo, adding Howard represents 20 percent of the Patuxent River watershed.
Upriver counties are less aware of how much development affects the river, and without strong enforcement of stormwater management laws, the pollution will continue to run down to the river and the Chesapeake Bay, she said.
The Patuxent River can be a model for cleaning up the Bay, and the pollution sources are manageable, Bevan-Dangel said.
“We know the river will get better if we put the resources in to it.”
The Patuxent also runs through portions of St. Mary?s, Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel, Prince George?s and Montgomery counties.
More on the plan
The Patuxent Riverkeeper?s plan for protecting the Patuxent River outlines several recommendations, including:
» Setting pollution limits for nutrients in the Patuxent River and its tributaries
» Funding stormwater and erosion laws enforcement and wastewater treatment plants upgrades
» Establishing funds for retrofitting stormwater facilities
» Planning for mass transit and focus development around transit
» Preserving land along the Patuxent River
