ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced that following recent severe windstorms, his Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan’s enhanced stream inspection and debris removal program flood safety initiative has removed more than 100,000 pounds of total debris from stream channels in and around the Historic Ellicott City watershed.
After taking office in December 2018, we launched the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan, including a comprehensive stream inspection and debris-clearing program. During the last six years, we have successfully removed more than 100,000 pounds of debris from vulnerable waterways. This storm debris, if not removed from our waterways, can create detrimental blockages during our next major rainfall, resulting in flooding of our vulnerable stream channels. These waterway inspections and debris removal efforts are critical elements to ensuring the safety of our Historic Ellicott City residents, business owners, and visitors during severe weather events.
A key component and one of the early initiatives adopted under Ball’s Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan when it was launched in December 2018, this program aims to remove debris from the county’s waterways that could create blockages and constrict the flow of water in vulnerable stream channels, contributing to and worsening flooding during severe storms,
Under the Plan’s protocols, debris is removed after any rain event of two inches or greater in a 24-hour period, or after an hour of sustained winds averaging more than 30 miles per hour. Previously, waterways were only inspected on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. Following the initiation of a debris clearing event, all vulnerable waterways are inspected within three business days, and all debris is removed within 14 days of the inspection.
Since the implementation of this program, the County’s Department of Public Works has initiated 26 debris removal events and cleared more than 100,000 pounds of debris from stream channels in and around Ellicott City through a partnership with Howard EcoWorks.
Our first debris management efforts began in 2015 in response to the 2011 flood where debris blockages were determined to be a known contributing factor to flooding. As someone that is a big fan of low tech and low cost environmental solutions, I knew that we could implement a program with our green jobs program participants that would be cost effective while providing significant community benefit. I am so grateful that County Executive Ball institutionalized the debris management effort within the County's Safe and Sound Plan and am proud of our collective milestone achievement of removing over 100,000 lbs of debris and bulk trash from our waterways!
To follow the progress of debris removal efforts and/or learn more about the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan, please visit: www.howardcountymd.gov/county-executive/ellicott-city-safe-and-sound.