Chambers Park Stormwater Education Center
Parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed contain a high percentage of impervious cover – paved or other hard surfaces such as roofs and roadways that prevent rain water from being absorbed into the ground. Instead, water runs along these surfaces, collecting trash and substances such as motor oil, lawn fertilizers, and pesticides. This polluted stormwater flows into streams and rivers, where it threatens aquatic ecosystems and public health.
Effective stormwater management, on the other hand, creates safe paths for polluted runoff to be captured and filtered through the ground before it reaches waterways. This helps keep the environment clean and our communities healthy!
Project location: Annapolis, MD
Problem: Despite the threat that polluted runoff poses to human health and the environment, many individuals are unaware of the problem and the role they can play in addressing it. The City of Annapolis recognized a need for greater education to empower residents to be part of the stormwater solution.
Solution: Chambers Park, located in Annapolis’ urban Parole neighborhood, is now home to a model house that demonstrates several stormwater best management practices. The Stormwater Education Center – created through a broad collaboration of community partners – is designed to educate the public about what stormwater is and how it can be addressed. The model home showcases a gutter system leading to rain barrels, a rain garden, and permeable pavers. Educational signage suggests other stormwater actions that residents can take on their own properties. Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides dedicated the Center in May 2015, and the City hopes it will inspire Annapolis residents to play an active part in managing stormwater.
Funding sources: BGE; MD Department of Natural Resources; MD Department of Natural Resources’ Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bay Trust Fund
Partners: Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles, Lon Powell, Terence Wright, Standford Womack, Midshipmen Action Group, Johnson Lumber, ALLIED, The Stone Store, K&B True Value, Belgard Hardcapes, Sherwin-Williams, Papa John’s