CONTACT: Julia Robey Christian, Public Information Officer, 202.741.0842, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC — April 3, 2015 — The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) was recognized by the Chesapeake Stormwater Network (CSN) this week for its efforts to control stormwater in the annual Best Urban BMP in the Bay Award, or “BUBBA.” The BUBBAs recognize best management practices (BMP) for treating and controlling urban stormwater pollution that have been installed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. There are six BUBBA categories: 1) Best Residential BMP; 2) Best Innovative BMP; 3) Best Ultra-Urban BMP; 4) Best Combination of BMPs in a series; 5) Best Habitat Creation in a BMP; and 4) Best Stream Restoration.
“We are proud to receive BUBBA recognition for our ongoing work in both stormwater management and stream restoration,” says DDOE’s Planning and Restoration Branch Chief, Peter Hill. “Our staff and partners have worked hard to ensure these projects implement best available practices and technology. DDOE has developed a suite of programs to engage District residents and businesses to clean up local waterbodies. Community involvement and a commitment to using the best available science and construction techniques will help us continue to create healthy waters.”
DDOE earned five 2015 BUBBA awards, positioning the District as a leader in stormwater pollution management:
- Innovative stream restoration: DDOE ranked No. 1 and received top ranking for BUBBA’s Best Stream Restoration category. DDOE’s stream restoration program utilizes groundbreaking techniques and cutting-edge research to advance the science of stream restoration;
- RiverSmart Communities: DDOE ranked second in BUBBA’s Best Ultra-Urban BMP category and third place in the Best Combination of BMPs category. DDOE’s RiverSmart Communities program provides funds and technical stormwater management support as they install BMPs for condominiums, apartments, locally-owned businesses, and religious institutions;
- RiverSmart Washington: DDOE’s pilot program ranked second in BUBBA’s Best Combination of BMPs category. The RiverSmart Washington Pilot Program retrofitted two District neighborhoods with stormwater BMPs along the roadway and on private property; and
- RiverSmart Homes: DDOE ranked third in BUBBA’s Best Residential BMP category for its Hickey Run Heroes campaign. This program has subsidized the installation of over 8,000 rain gardens, rain barrels, pervious paving, and trees on District properties citywide.
These four programs operate within the scope of the Sustainable DC Plan, with the goal of making all District waterways fishable and swimmable by 2032. Specifically, these projects aim to retrofit 75 percent of the District’s land with stormwater filtering practices; build 25 miles of green alleys; double the number of homes participating in RiverSmart Homes; and increase the acreage of District wetlands by 50 percent.
The Chesapeake Stormwater Network is a group of nearly 7,000 professionals working within the Chesapeake Bay watershed to perform research and disseminate information on the best approaches to managing stormwater pollution. The public can see the winning projects and vote for the best overall project in the Bay. To vote go to: http://chesapeakestormwater.net/the-bubbas/2015-bubbas-winners/.