The following are highlights of accomplishments and new initiatives of the MDE Water and Science Administration (WSA). For brevity, this inventory covers the period of approximately 2022 through mid-2024. Prior accomplishments can be found in
previous annual reports .
Stormwater & Flood Management
Although traditional stormwater and floodplain management are separate and distinct programs, their relationship has been acknowledged in State law for decades (Env. Art. 5-803). That’s because land development can exacerbate downstream riverine flooding as well as localized pluvial flooding (flooding due to overwhelmed drainage systems). The increased intensity of some rain storms associated with climate change has prompted renewed efforts to integrate stormwater and flood management.
A-StoRM (Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland)
In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly adopted amendments to the State’s stormwater management statute (2021 SB 227). The amendments call for State stormwater regulations to better account for flooding and climate change. In response, WSA submitted an action plan to the General Assembly in November 2021 entitled “Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM): Maryland’s Stormwater Management Climate Change Action Plan.” Since then, the A-StoRM initiative has convened several stakeholder groups, including:
- The Regulation Technical Advisory Group (RTAG), focused on updating the regulations
- The Watershed TAG, focused on challenging technical and policy issues associated with regulating stormwater and flooding at a watershed scale
- The Stakeholder Consultation Group that reflects a broad spectrum of interested parties, as called for in the 2021 statutory amendments
As of Summer 2024, MDE’s Stormwater, Dam Safety, and Flood Management Program, which leads the A-StoRM initiative, has released proposed changes to Maryland’s Stormwater Management Regulations and the Maryland Stormwater Design Manual for public review. This is a precursor to amending Maryland’s stormwater regulations and Design Manual to be published in the Maryland Register for formal public comment.
A-Storm Proposed Statutory and Regulatory Changes
In 2023, WSA
proposed amendments to Environment Article, §§4-201 and 4-203, Annotated Code Of Maryland Title 26 Department Of The Environment Subtitle 17 Water Management Chapter 02 Stormwater Management. Proposed amendments account for future changes in precipitation due to climate change.
A-StoRM Communications
The A-StoRM initiative involves major communications and outreach actions:
For more information visit the
Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland website.
A-StoRM & Flood Management
- In April 2024, WSA offered its current thinking on the
flood management components of Maryland’s Stormwater Management regulations (see slides 35–43).
- Identification of Flood-prone Areas: In 2022, WSA began a collaborative effort with local governments to identify and characterize flood-prone areas. This effort continued in 2023 as MDE worked with local jurisdictions to understand data availability, data gaps, and the needs for collecting, storing, sharing, and analyzing this data.
- Watershed Flood Management Studies: In 2023, WSA applied for a FEMA grant to conduct watershed flood studies. In 2024, WSA was awarded $3 million to develop:
- A statewide watershed prioritization tool
- A framework for how to model watersheds for establishing watershed studies and plans
- Use the information gained in parts 1 and 2 to model three watersheds, identify flood impacts, and recommend mitigation options in coordination with local stakeholders. These studies will inform guidelines for local governments to conduct similar studies.
Flood Management Infrastructure Funding
Legislation has been adopted to restore funding to the
Comprehensive Flood Grant Management Program over several recent years. Between FY20–FY24 the Maryland General Assembly authorized over $49 million in capital funding for flood mitigation, which can have local stream and Bay restoration co-benefits. Although funding for studies and plans through the CFGMP continues to be a roadblock to performing the necessary work to implement capital improvement projects before the next disaster designation by the federal government, MDE has introduced legislation in recent years that would make CFGMP funds available for studies and plans as originally envisioned in 1976.
Flood Awareness Month
WSA staff participate in the planning and events of Maryland’s Flood Awareness Month (FAM) each April. The FAM is coordinated by the
Maryland Resiliency Partnership . In addition to a wide variety of educational outreach activities, WSA has produced several short flood awareness videos with key messages (the Frederick City video was produced by MDE’s Office of Communications):
Industrial Stormwater General Permits - Climate Enhancements
WSA staff, in coordination with EPA Region III staff, have conducted screening-level climate reviews of several sector-specific industrial stormwater general permits. This activity is part of WSA’s Climate Adaptation Plan, under the
“Climate Smart Permits” priority. These permits include:
- Industrial Sources that Discharge Stormwater Only (20-SW)
- Surface Coal Mining and Related Facilities (19-CM)
- Mineral Mines, Quarries, Borrow Pits, and Concrete and Asphalt Plants (15-MM)
- Discharges from Marinas including Boat Yards and Yacht Basins (16-MA)
Depending on the permit, changes include requirements to identify specific climate-related factors when designing/implementing control measures, identifying operational changes to reduce the likelihood of flooding at new pollutant sources, more explicit thermal discharge limits for cold water streams, and requirements for climate change vulnerability assessments.
Erosion and Sediment Control
Standards & Specifications Update Initiative
In 2023, the Maryland General Assembly adopted amendments to the state’s erosion and sediment control (ES&C) statute (SB471). The amendments require the Department to review and update specifications for sediment control plans (ES&C Handbook) on or before December 1, 2025, and every 5 years thereafter, accounting for updated precipitation data. In November 2023, the WSA published a report for the Maryland General Assembly entitled,
“Plans And Resources Needed For Reviewing And Updating Specifications For Sediment Control Plans.” MDE recognizes that more intense rainfall events due to climate change warrant improved erosion and sediment control methods. Funding is being sought to update these standards and specifications.
Stormwater Industrial Permit Associated with Construction Activity - Climate Enhancements
As part of WSA’s Climate Adaptation Plan, staff conducted a screening-level review of Maryland’s general permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activity (20-CP). This activity also falls under WSA’s
“Climate Smart Permits” priority. It clarifies that design engineers and others must account for the “expected amount, frequency, intensity, and duration of precipitation” when designing erosion and sediment control (E&SC) measures. Licensed engineers have a professional duty to factor in climate change for E&SC compliance.
Compliance Training for New Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit
In 2023, WSA notified the regulated community that the general permit for the Discharges of Stormwater Associated With Construction Activity (20-CP) would be effective April 1, 2023. WSA provided at least nine online training sessions and other stakeholder presentations throughout 2023. Training included MDE WSA compliance inspection staff and covered the new permit’s requirements intended to mitigate climate change risks.
Dam Safety
Dam Information Mapping Tool
Water storage is a critical aspect of water resource management. However, aging dams are under increasing stress due to climate change. In 2024, WSA’s Dam Safety Program released a revamped
Dam Information Mapping Tool showing locations and basic information for more than 550 dams. Crucially, the tool includes newly finalized areas of potential dam failure inundation floods. This mapping tool aids resilience by providing essential information to dam owners, the safety community, emergency managers, and the public.
Dam Removal Guidance
When removal is the best option for an aged dam, the process can be complex. Recent federal infrastructure laws are spurring more dam removal projects. To expedite proper removals, MDE (in collaboration with DNR, MDP, and others) finalized the
Maryland Dam Removal Guidelines in April 2024.
Dam Safety Emergency Preparedness
Emergency preparedness for dams is crucial for Maryland’s climate resilience. Past legislation strengthened MDE’s authority to require the repair or removal of unsafe dams and mandated emergency action plans (EAPs) for higher-hazard dams. In Spring 2022, MDE WSA staff participated in a FEMA tabletop exercise centered on Oakland, MD, involving a scenario of extreme rainfall threatening multiple dams. In 2023, WSA’s Climate Team conducted a workshop focused on after-hours emergency response, using a dam-at-risk scenario. In 2024, WSA’s Climate Team organized a webinar on dam safety in the context of climate change.
Financial Resources for Dam Safety
Many dams in Maryland are privately owned by entities lacking sufficient resources to maintain or repair them. MDE does not have a dedicated dam repair fund for emergencies or preventing emergencies. In 2023, MDE presented
“Joint Chairman’s Report on Dam Safety Program Funding Needed for Oversight of Privately Owned Dams.” MDE has proposed dam repair fund legislation multiple times, including HB245 in 2024, but without success.
In 2023, WSA staff worked with several dam owners to apply for FEMA’s High Hazard Potential Dam grant, administered by the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. Supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), $4.26 million was awarded in 2024 for maintenance projects at six dams.
Water Supply and Drought Management
Water Appropriations Permit and Regulation Climate Reviews
In 2023, WSA completed a draft screening-level review of MDE’s water appropriation and use permit focusing on drought risks. The assessment recommends improving future permits and conducting additional studies, such as better data collection from groundwater wells in fractured rock aquifers. In 2024, WSA’s Climate Team conducted a deeper (Level 2) review of the Water Appropriations or Use regulations (COMAR 26.17.06) and offered recommendations for future improvements.
Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) for Drought Resilience
In 2023, the Maryland General Assembly adopted legislation authorizing WSA to develop an Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) Pilot Program for safely using highly treated municipal wastewater as a source for drinking water treatment facilities (after mixing with a natural water body). Maryland has received one IPR project application to augment a water supply reservoir and is reviewing that proposal. WSA will submit a report on the Pilot Program to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2024.
Climate Change and Drought Risk Communications
In 2023, MDE activated its drought notification process in response to below-normal groundwater levels and stream flows in Central and Western Maryland, elevating drought status to “watch” and later “warning” for Central Maryland. In 2024, several regions reached “watch” status. MDE routinely updates drought conditions on its
drought information webpage . The Water Supply Program also maintains a
climate change communications webpage .
Wastewater Management
Climate Reviews of Permits: NPDES Municipal Wastewater Discharge Permit and General Permits
In 2021, WSA developed special permit conditions for individual NPDES municipal wastewater discharge permits based on a screening-level climate review. These conditions address peak flow capacity management, 24-hour holding capacity near shellfish waters, and ensuring backup power under extreme weather. In 2022, MDE began incorporating these conditions into permits upon renewal. Screening-level climate reviews were also performed for several general permits: Seafood Processing, Swimming Pool/Spa discharges, and Pesticide discharges.
Bermed Infiltration Ponds
In July 2021, MDE issued a 15-month suspension on constructing Bermed Infiltration Ponds (BIPs), partly due to rising water tables associated with climate change. BIPs are used in Talbot, Somerset, and Dorchester counties where septic systems do not function well. Aging BIPs show signs of failure. Their low-lying coastal locations are susceptible to sea level rise, water table rise, and increased rainfall intensity. WSA’s in-depth assessment of BIPs was finalized in
November 2022. Steps to manage BIPs include ranking failure risk, monitoring and tracking, and a pilot project to connect one BIP to public sewer as a model for others.
Water & Wastewater Utility Climate Vulnerability Assessments
In summer 2022, WSA helped the Maryland Department of Planning host several EPA Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) webinars. This led to technical assistance in 2023 for three Maryland coastal communities (Crisfield, Cambridge, Chesapeake Beach) through EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities program. In 2024, several western Maryland communities (Middletown, Boonsboro, Emmitsburg) will receive CREAT technical assistance.
Wetlands Protection and Waterway Construction
Climate Awareness through Wetlands Pre-Application Meetings & Routine Correspondence
The Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program is phasing in accountability for climate change. Starting in 2021, Wetlands Program application acknowledgement letters included a note urging applicants and consultants to consider climate effects in their designs. In 2022, the Program enhanced its
Pre-Application Meeting webpage to include climate change resources.
Living Shoreline Protection
Living shorelines offer natural erosion control with vegetation and oyster reefs, providing ecological benefits and resilience against climate change. Maryland’s 2008 Living Shoreline Protection Act requires living shorelines where feasible, but many landowners still request waivers for hardened shorelines. MDE has directed EPA development funds to produce the
Maryland Shoreline Stabilization Mapper, which helps assess shoreline areas suitable for living shorelines.
In 2023, this tool was completed statewide for tidal waters, helping permitters decide when living shoreline methods must be used instead of hardened structures. In 2024, WSA adopted a metric to promote living shorelines over hardened approaches. MDE also developed a
proposed living shoreline supplemental permit checklist for applicants. These efforts foster ecological and climate resilience.
Since August 2023, a Chesapeake & Climate Change Conservation Corps member has worked with WSA’s Tidal Wetlands Division to improve tracking of living shorelines vs. hardened shorelines, develop outreach materials, and conduct a cost-benefit analysis comparing living vs. hardened approaches. The analysis includes modeling the effect on property values.
Wetlands and Waterways Ecological Restoration
In 2022, WSA’s Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program was tasked by new legislation (HB 869) to study the permitting process for ecological restoration projects. Stakeholder group meetings were held through 2023, culminating in a comprehensive analysis of technical and procedural aspects of permitting stream restoration, wetlands creation, and living shorelines. Although not explicitly about climate change, the report (submitted in August 2024) acknowledges the importance of climate considerations for successful ecological restoration.
Cold Water Protection
Heat Pollution: Water Temperature Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
WSA’s Watershed Protection, Restoration, and Planning Program continues developing temperature models and TMDLs for streams that exceed temperature water quality criteria. The TMDL for Gwynns Falls (cold water portions) was drafted in 2020 and is expected to go out for public review in Fall 2024. Staff are also finalizing a temperature TMDL in the Prettyboy Reservoir Watershed, aiming to complete the draft by the end of this year.
Cool and Cold Water Protection: Water Quality Standards & Permitting
In 2022, WSA clarified Maryland’s antidegradation procedures for cold water streams, some of which have been reclassified as Class III (cold water) or identified as having unique cold water existing uses. This helps protect sensitive coldwater species (e.g., trout). In fall 2024, additional cold or cool water existing use determinations for seven waterbodies were proposed for public review. These could lead to further redesignations under the 2025 Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards.
WSA continues to evaluate its coldwater protection mechanisms in permitting programs, leading to more protective permit conditions for sensitive resources.
Emergency Preparedness
Harmful Algal Blooms
Climate-induced warming and increased nutrient runoff can cause more harmful algal blooms (HABs). WSA’s Field Services Program responds to potential toxin-producing algal blooms, and coordinates with the Water Supply Program if drinking water sources are at risk. MDE WSA has invested in laboratory automation to speed up toxin detection and provide faster alerts to water suppliers and the public.
Emergency Preparedness Training
In 2023, WSA’s Climate Team initiated a Climate Emergency Preparedness (CEP) Training program to foster a culture of emergency readiness. Sessions included water supply emergencies, WSA’s After Hours Emergency Response procedures, coordination with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), and dam safety. In 2024, additional trainings will cover dam safety, shellfish harvesting area emergencies, and catastrophic events.
After-Hours Emergency Response Procedures Update
In 2024, WSA completed an update of its After-Hours Emergency Response Procedures (Duty Office Manual), recognizing climate change as a “threat multiplier.” The document trains WSA’s Compliance Program staff, who serve as the primary points of contact with MDEM’s Emergency Operations Center during off-hours.
WSA After-Hours Emergency Procedures hub-and-spoke information flow from MDEM to WSA’s Compliance Duty Officer to WSA Programs and beyond as needed
Research, Planning, and Analyses
Maryland Climate Change Adaptation Strategic Planning
In 2023, WSA collaborated with DNR to translate
Maryland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework into
Maryland’s Next Generation Climate Adaptation Plan , which includes near- and long-term action milestones. The “Water” element of the Next Gen Plan aligns with WSA’s four climate adaptation priority areas.
Chesapeake Bay Restoration Planning
Climate Addendum for Nutrient Reductions: In 2021, WSA analyzed predicted climate-induced increases in nitrogen and phosphorus loading. In 2022, staff published an
Addendum to Maryland’s Phase III WIP strategy to offset climate change–related nutrient increases. Beyond 2025, Maryland expects to address additional climate-related loads in the next iteration of the Bay watershed implementation plan.
Water and Sewer Plan Reviews
Maryland requires local governments to adopt formal plans for expanding water/sewer service. WSA screens local water and sewer plans for climate change vulnerabilities to ensure planners factor resilience into new or expanded infrastructure.
Water Resources Element (WRE) of Local Comprehensive Land Use Plan: Climate Change Guidance
In 2022, the updated WRE Climate Change guidance was released via
MDP’s website . The WRE identifies drinking water sources and receiving waters for stormwater management and wastewater needs. In 2024, equity-related recommendations and resource links were added to guide local water resource planning with attention to climate change considerations.
Climate Adaptation Communications
WSA Climate Adaptation Website and Dashboard
In 2022, WSA began developing a
Climate Adaptation Dashboard as part of its
Climate Adaptation and Resilience website . The dashboard, which went live in November 2023, highlights major climate action priority areas and key adaptation activities. It was updated in June 2024 and will continue semiannual updates.
Vibrio Awareness
Vibrios are naturally occurring bacteria in estuarine and marine waters. Some species can cause serious infection in people exposed through open wounds or punctures. Warmer water temperatures (often linked to climate change) increase vibrio presence. WSA promotes vibrio awareness each swimming season.
More info .
For further information about any of the recent accomplishments and initiatives of MDE’s Water and Science Administration, please contact mde.wsado@maryland.gov.
