Commissioners Briefed on Watershed Study

  WSSC to Move Forward with Improvements/Regulations Review

 

WSSC Commissioners were briefed today on the findings and recommendations of a study conducted on WSSC’s portion of the Patuxent watershed.  The watershed protects source drinking water in the Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge reservoirs that becomes drinking water for more than 600,000 customers.

The study, by EA Engineering, Science and Technology, can be found on the WSSC website.  

It lists a wide range of short, medium and long-term recommendations related to overall watershed management.  They include: establish clear boundaries and access points to the watershed, repair and maintain access roads, improve signage, provide adequate parking, develop long-term plans for erosion control, fire protection and security, among others to protect water quality.

WSSC will begin conducting meetings with various stakeholders to share details of the study and to exchange ideas on watershed improvements and potential changes in watershed use regulations.

“While source water protection will always be our primary goal, there is room to work with stakeholders to allow managed recreational use of the watershed,” said WSSC General Manager/CEO Jerry N. Johnson. “We are eager to move forward and do a better job of protecting this valuable resource.”

WSSC has already begun scheduling meetings with various stakeholder groups.  WSSC anticipates using input from those groups as well as study recommendations and public input received during that study to draft new watershed regulations.  Residents will be able to comment on those draft regulations at a public forum.  New regulations could be in place by spring 2013.

WSSC’s portion of the Patuxent River watershed is approximately 5600 acres and was paid for with ratepayer money to serve as a water supply protection buffer.