Keeping streams, waterways clean will help bay

The Times-News reported in December on Maryland’s efforts to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and how Allegany County did its part by submitting a local plan to the Maryland Department of the Environment (“State’s bay cleanup plan to EPA concerns clean water advocates,” Dec. 20, Page 1A).
More recently, I read that our legislative delegation to Annapolis has been talking about the importance of Chesapeake Bay cleanup and making sure funding is available to get the job done “Beitzel’s bay cleanup bill hearing set: Delegate wants Chesapeake funds used ‘for their intended purposes’,” Feb. 2, Page 1A).
But while we hear a lot about the need to restore the Chesapeake Bay to good health, we also need to remember how important it is to make sure our local streams and waterways aren’t polluted.
For example, after every large storm event we read in the newspaper about thousands of gallons, sometimes tens of thousands of gallons, of polluted water running into our waterways from combined sewer overflows.
Problems like these demand our attention and need to be corrected. This is what our local Watershed Implementation Plan is all about — identifying and implementing practical solutions that will correct real problems.
Here in western Maryland we are fortunate to have high quality water in rivers and streams like Fifteen Mile Creek in eastern Allegany County and the Savage River in Garrett County that residents and visitors alike can enjoy. Let’s be sure we protect these treasures.
I’d like to commend the team led by Angie Patterson in the county’s Department of Community Services for all the hard work they did on Allegany County’s plan. Work like this is often thankless, not easy to get done, and many of us in the community aren’t even aware that it’s going on.
Our rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay weren’t polluted overnight, and it will take time and effort from everyone to clean them up — and yes, money, too.
We appear to be off to a good start, but we know there’s more to be done.
Let’s hope our government officials will stay focused on the big picture — clean water in our local rivers and streams and ultimately in the Chesapeake Bay.
Dale Sams
Cumberland

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