A recent Chesapeake Bay Program newsletter, raised the question:
Can the watershed continue to sustain the plants, animals and people that live here given the rapid pace of population growth?
In 2025, several of the issues they raise will be under consideration in the Corsica watershed.
- Centreville will need to make decisions about a new wastewater treatment plant and, in doing so, will set parameters for future growth and character of town living. The Conservancy will continue to work with the town to find the best solutions.
- Stormwater damage is increasing. More buildings mean more impervious surfaces that, in turn, mean more runoff from storms that take more pollutants into our streams and river. Up to date information on the number and area of impervious surfaces will be available this year.
- Pressure to exempt projects from land use and zoning regulations–several of which have been recently approved by the county–come at the expense of forests and wetlands. Maryland’s critical area laws have been crucial in limiting such damaging development but are also under pressure.
- And finally, the Maryland Department of Transportation has proposed two replacement spans for the Bay Bridge, which could more than double lanes over the water and will destroy sensitive areas on land. Many empirical studies have demonstrated that more roads bring more cars, not less congestion.
Decisions on these and other issues will be made during the coming year. We at Corsica River Conservancy are paying attention and hope you will too.
Read the Newsletter Article