LEESBURG, Va., Nov. 12 -- Dozens of volunteers will be planting more than 200 trees in the name of improving water quality for both Leesburg and the Chesapeake Bay on Saturday, Nov. 22, starting at 10 a.m.  The project is a demonstration of what is hoped will be one of many community projects known as "Forest your Stormwater Pond" and reflects a unique partnership between the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), the Center for Watershed Protection (Center) and the Town of Leesburg's Environmental Advisory Commission/Watershed Committee with funding from The Home Depot Foundation and the Water Quality Improvement Fund of the Virginia Department of Forestry.

"This project will provide the kind of water quality improvement we need in Leesburg and throughout Northern Virginia. We're fortunate to have a supportive Town Council and knowledgeable and committed staff," said Neely Law, Chair of the Leesburg Watershed Committee.

Managing stormwater can involve holding or rerouting rainfall that flows over roads, parking lots, rooftops and fertilized lawns, where it picks up pollutants. Leesburg and similar urbanized areas in the Chesapeake Bay area contain large percentages of such impervious, polluted surfaces, which are key contributors to pollution in the Bay because the water typically is dumped untreated directly into local streams, threatening the quality of drinking water and wildlife habitat.

Starting in 2006, the Leesburg Town Council reviewed recommendations made by the Center for improving water quality in the Leesburg portion of the Tuscarora watershed and launched the Leesburg Watershed Committee to coordinate efforts for reaching these goals. "Forest your Stormwater Pond" is one of many targeted efforts to improve the water quality of local streams through better stormwater management.

Leesburg and the project partners have identified "dry stormwater ponds" as a good place to improve current stormwater management practices.  Leesburg's "dry ponds" tend to be barren, grassy, bowl-shaped areas, often on the sides of highways, which collect water when there is a large rainfall and slowly release it into nearby streams.  These ponds minimize potential flooding but don't do much to control pollutants.  Planting native trees, shrubs and grasses within them creates "forested dry ponds" that help filter pollutants out of stormwater before it drains to nearby creeks and streams.

This initiative also helps Leesburg meet its tree canopy goals, capture greenhouse gases and other airborne pollutants, create urban wildlife habitat, and beautify its neighborhoods. The trees, from RPM Ecosystems, are very special because they are native, non-genetically modified, and "root-enhanced," making them more stress tolerant and able to grow 2-3 times faster than normal native tree stock, according to Alexi Boado, project manager for the Center, which is a non-profit organization nationally-recognized as a leading source for watershed and stormwater management-based solutions in Ellicott City, Md.

The public is invited to join in the tree planting, which will be in the dry pond near the corner of Patrice Drive and Spencer Terrace in the Kincaid Forest neighborhood on Saturday, Nov. 22nd, starting at 10 a.m. [Rain date is Nov. 23 at 1 p.m.]  A willingness to spend an hour or more getting your hands dirty to help improve Leesburg's environment is all that's required. Volunteers should wear boots and bring some work gloves.  Individuals, families and groups wishing to volunteer should contact Gem Bingol at gbingol@pecva.org or (703) 669-2205.

"We're glad to see our recommendations become reality, thanks to the great staff of Leesburg, including Engineer Charles Mumaw, Town Arborist Jay Banks, and Senior Planner Irish Grandfield. We also appreciate the volunteer efforts of the Kincaid Forest HOA," Boado said.

Added Gem Bingol, a field officer with PEC, which has led several successful projects to assess and improve water quality in the Goose Creek watershed, "It's exciting to be involved in a community project that can so readily improve water quality, and the widespread support is very gratifying."

For more information on other Leesburg Environmental Advisory Commission/Watershed Committee efforts, go to www.leesburgva.gov/environment. 

Robert Lazaro
Director of Communications
571.225.0198