Managing Water Quality on Parkland
Protecting natural and cultural resources; encouraging recreation while promoting conservation; and providing clean, safe, and accessible places for park visitors and neighbors are core to Montgomery Parks’ mission. Montgomery Parks routinely works to prevent stormwater and other types of pollution from impacting our aquatic resources and actively responds to potential water quality concerns.
Reporting a Water Quality Concern
Patrons are the eyes and ears in our Parks, and we encourage your help with protecting aquatic resources. Contact Montgomery Parks via the Water Quality Concerns Hotline at (301) 495-3582 if you see something unusual in one of our bodies of water, including an algal bloom, fish kill, or sediment pollution.
You can also reference the Montgomery Parks Water Quality Concerns Hotline Guidance document in the Resources tab to learn more about reporting these concerns.
For sewage leaks and water main break concerns, contact WSSC Emergency Services directly.
Caring for Aquatic Resources
Aquatic resources are sensitive to changes from the surrounding land. Biological monitoring allows for the long-term evaluation of stream conditions and a cumulative assessment of overall watershed health, but there are occasionally discrete, more localized conditions that may attract attention and that may have the potential to affect ecological health and public safety alike.
Amphibians as Indicators
Amphibians like frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts help reveal the health of our environment because their lives are tightly linked to both water and land. Their permeable skin and jelly-like eggs readily absorb what is in their surroundings, making them especially vulnerable to changes in water quality, temperature, habitat disturbance, and disease. As a result, shifts in amphibian populations – whether a sudden decline, altered breeding patterns, or reduced species diversity – can provide early warning signs of environmental stress long before problems become visible in other wildlife or in the waterways themselves.
One way park patrons can learn more about aquatic habitats and contribute to their stewardship is by becoming a volunteer Montgomery FrogWatch Community Scientist!
Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria
The appearance of an orange substance in the water can be a sign that iron-oxidizing bacteria are present. Iron-oxidizing bacteria use dissolved iron in the environment for energy and produce orange or rust-colored byproducts that can appear as fuzzy-looking flocculant, sludge, or surface film. Although the orange appearance can be unsightly, the bacteria that create it are naturally occurring and are a harmless part of our local aquatic ecosystem. Signs of iron-oxidizing bacteria are often found in slow or still-moving water, as well as stormwater outfalls and road culverts, but do not pose a threat to human, pet, or ecosystem health. Iron-oxidizing bacteria can also produce an oily-looking sheen on the surface of the water, which can sometimes be confused for petroleum pollution, but can be readily distinguished in the field using a stick or rock.
Blue-green Algae (Cyanobacteria) and Microcystin
Blue-green algae are cyanobacteria capable of producing microcystin toxins (accessible pdf) that are harmful to people and pets that come into contact with affected standing water. Blooms associated with elevated levels of toxic microcystins have been frequently observed in Lake Frank and Lake Needwood in Rock Creek Regional Park in the summer and fall. Staff routinely inspect and monitor conditions, and signs are posted, and media advisories are circulated if potentially harmful levels are detected.
Aquatic Nuisance Species
Aquatic nuisance species are animals and plants that have been introduced into a body of water, become established, and cause harm by impacting the local environment, economy, and/or human health. Several species identified in Maryland have or are at risk of invading our parks, but patrons can play a part in preventing their spread by taking simple steps like managing fishing bait and boating gear properly.
Wetlands and Mosquitos
From large lakes, ponds, and marshes to streamside swamps and tiny, transient vernal pools, the wetlands in our parks play a vital role in the environment. Much like the kidneys in our own bodies, wetlands filter impurities in our watersheds. They also act as natural flooding and stormwater pollution control and represent some of the most prolific wildlife habitats, connecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Although wetlands are marked by standing water, they rarely are the source of common complaints about mosquitoes. Learn more about Mosquitos in Montgomery County and Montgomery Parks Integrated Pest Management Program and Pesticide Use.