Watershed Management

Watershed Management Plans are reviewed and updated approximately every ten years.  The current active plans are:

• Watts Branch Watershed Study and Management Plan adopted in August 2001
• Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan adopted in April 2000
• Cabin John Creek Watershed Management Plan adopted in February 1996

Watershed Management Plans attempt to balance competing interests to achieve a net environmental benefit for the watershed by considering the following areas:

• Natural resource protection and environmental quality
• Recreation and parks preservation needs
• Neighborhood concerns
• City infrastructure protection
• Stormwater management and stream restoration goals

Rockville's watershed management plans contribute to the region-wide effort to improve the Chesapeake Bay. Our watershed plans support the goals of the voluntary C2K (Chesapeake Bay Agreement) initiatives as well as the mandatory Total Maximum Daily Loads  (TMDLs) requirements imposed through the Clean Water Act.  Additionally, our watershed plans are a component of the mandatory National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements,  which are also imposed through the Clean Water Act. To learn more about Rockville's other NPDES requirements, check out our NPDES Program information.