Stormwater Resources
There are many ways to keep your home or building dry and protect Sligo Creek from stormwater damage. A single project can substantially reduce runoff from your property. Multiple projects are even more effective. And stormwater projects add beauty to your property and support pollinators. There is a project that is right for you!
This spring, Friends of Sligo Creek is partnering with Nature Forward to offer 2 ways to create low-cost native plant gardens exclusively for residents of the Sligo Creek watershed. The Sligo Creek Garden Program was created through a collaboration between FOSC and Nature Forward, funded through a generous grant.
HELP improve the health of sligo creek & long branch
Support local pollinators!
Update: Sold Out! Check back in Spring 2024. The plant list, below, can be used by anyone on their own.
Two options are available to Sligo Watershed residents: 1) a Garden Kit for those with 50 square feet of lawn to convert to native plant garden, and 2) a Conservation Landscaping Design Consultation for those who have a minimum of 250 square feet of lawn/non-native gardens available to convert to a native plant garden with significant conservation benefits. You can do 1 or the other, or both. Quantities are limited, so visit the Sligo Garden page to learn more and order today!
For spring 2023, the Sunny kit contains: Roundleaf Ragwort (Packera obovata), Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia), Mountainmint (Pycnanthemum muticum), and Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).
The Shade kit contains: Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea), Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata), Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus), and White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata).
Reduced Pavement
Photos courtesy of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) RainScapes program. See also the Montgomery County DEP Green Streets program for inspiration.
FOR HOMEOWNERS
The three counties closest to the Sligo Creek watershed offer advice and financial assistance to homeowners seeking to reduce the stormwater runoff from their home.
Montgomery County’s Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) offers RainScapes Rewards Rebates up to $7,500 per residential property for pre-approved stormwater projects. DEP has partnered with other County Departments and agencies, local nonprofits, and community members to create the MyGreenMontgomery.org website which offers “quick advice on how you can go green at home, work, and school” including stormwater projects.
Prince George’s County offers a Rain Check Rebate Program for stormwater projects installed by one of the listed Rain Check certified contractors.
DC’s RiverSmart Homes program offers rebates for rain barrels, trees, rain gardens, and permeable surfaces.
Two local municipalities offer their own programs:
City of Gaithersburg’s RainScapes Program
City of Rockville’s RainScapes Program
FOR NEIGHBORHOODS
The Dept of Environmental Protection operates the Green Streets Program with the assistance of neighborhood groups. Read more about the program on the Green Streets website.
FOSC volunteers bring possible project locations to the attention of DEP. When a neighborhood green street project does not work properly, FOSC volunteers notify DEP.
FOR BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHERS
Community properties such as schools, congregations, Home Owners Associations, and community pools can help slow down stormwater too through the RainScapes Communities program.
This program is open to commercial, multi-family residential, religious and other institutional property owners, Home Owners Associations and other groups. It offers up to $20,000 to offset the cost of a project. County staff offers advice and evaluation of potential projects, and assistance with the online RainScapes Rewards project application.
The Leisure World RainScape Communities rain gardens