Montgomery Parks surpasses MS4 stormwater restoration requirement ahead of 2025 deadline

Montgomery Parks has exceeded a key stormwater restoration requirement under its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit, treating more than 71 acres of previously untreated impervious surface runoff—surpassing its 2025 target of 66.5 acres.

The milestone marks a significant contribution toward regional progress on the 2025 Chesapeake Bay water quality goals and reflects the agency’s expanded stormwater management efforts across Montgomery County.

“Montgomery Parks’ success in surpassing our stormwater restoration goal reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship, and the expertise of the department’s scientists, engineers, maintenance teams, and other professional staff,” said Miti Figueredo, director of Montgomery Parks, in a press release.

According to the Annual Progress Report submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment, this year’s results were achieved through a combination of stormwater retrofits, stream restoration and outfall stabilization, and impervious surface removal. Projects included a new micro-bioretention facility at Colesville Local Park designed to filter pollutants and manage rainfall onsite, along with ongoing work to rebuild degraded stream channels, stabilize eroded outfalls, and replace hard surfaces with permeable materials.

Education and community engagement were another major focus. In fiscal year 2025, Montgomery Parks hosted hundreds of volunteer events, including stream cleanups, invasive plant removals, and storm drain mural projects. Volunteers removed more than 134,000 pounds of trash from local parks and waterways. More than 400 employees also completed Stormwater Pollution Prevention Training, and nature centers offered nearly 200 water-related programs that reached over 3,500 participants.

“We’re proud to have achieved this impervious area restoration milestone by the 2025 deadline outlined in the MS4 permit,” said Kyndal Gehlbach, NPDES program coordinator at Montgomery Parks, in a press release. “It took a tremendous amount of collaboration and dedication across our entire staff to make it happen, and this accomplishment reflects Montgomery Parks’ ongoing commitment to protecting local waterways and improving water quality throughout our park system.”