For many, it is hard to believe that this small, high quality, clear flowing cold water stream is the same Patuxent River entering the Chesapeake Bay at Solomons, Maryland. Since the 1970's, the Patuxent River and its watershed have been the subject of many planning and technical studies, but until recently these studies have emphasized the tidal and the noontide to tidal transition areas of the River which are located far downstream.

The Patuxent River originates in Frederick County, above the intersection of Route 27 and Windsor Forest Road. In the stream above Route 94 is a naturally reproducing brown trout population. To protect this resource, the Upper Patuxent has been designated a special trout catch and release stream by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The brown trout population is part of a generally high quality cold water fish community, although sculpins, which are usually found in these communities, are absent. Extensive forested areas in the Patuxent River State Park surround the Upper Patuxent. Areas of the state park are or will soon be designated as Maryland Wildlands. The mature floodplain and upland forests support a rich wildlife community with some of the best forest interior breeding bird habitat remaining in the County. The streams in this watershed are among the best remaining in the County and many serve as reference streams for the County's stream monitoring program.

There has been some concern about accelerated rates of sedimentation, elevated nutrient levels, and depressed dissolved oxygen concentrations being observed at Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge Reservoirs. These two reservoirs supply over 11 billion gallons of drinking water to suburban Montgomery County and Prince George's County, and to a limited extent, Howard County. In March 1995, the interjurisdictional Patuxent Reservoir Protection Group published an interim report on the desired components of a Patuxent Reservoir Protection Strategy. In October 1996, an interjurisdictional agreement among Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties, the M-NCPPC, the WSSC, and the Howard and Montgomery Soil Conservation Districts committed these agencies to develop and implement initiatives for long term protection of the Patuxent Reservoirs watershed including the water supply reservoirs, the Patuxent River and its tributary streams, and associated groundwater resources.

An interagency group has been working with a WSSC consultant to establish a framework for the various components of an integrated long range watershed management plan. These components are expected to include hydrologic investigations, nutrient and sediment load quantification, water quality monitoring, watershed and reservoir model development, public awareness initiatives, control options, and progress tracking. The study and its recommendations were completed in July, 1997 and presented to the Patuxent Agreement signatories in October, 1997. The WSSC is also funding the publication of a newsletter to document recent activities and progress on protecting the reservoirs and their resources. The first newsletter was distributed to watershed residents during the Fall of 1997.

Upper Patuxent River Stream Condition, Habitat Conditions, and Management Category Designation

Upper Patuxent River Watershed Management Categories

Watershed Preservation Areas

All of the areas with excellent resource conditions are located almost entirely within the Patuxent River State Park. The protection provided by the park is expected to continue to preserve the excellent conditions in these stream reaches. Improvement of riparian conditions and BMPs in the upper sections of these subwatersheds will further ensure that the lower reaches remain in excellent condition.

• Educational efforts to improve best management practices and stewardship among private landowners.

Agricultural Watershed Management Areas

The primarily agricultural character of the upper reaches of streams in the Upper Patuxent is not expected to change significantly, due to current zoning which promotes agricultural uses. These streams, as tributaries to the Patuxent River, are part of the designated Patuxent River Primary Management Area (PMA). Implementation of recommendations for the PMA are voluntary on lands not seeking subdivision or site design approval. Education and outreach efforts to increase the use of the most current BMPs, particularly forested buffers, is currently being pursued as part of the Patuxent Reservoir Protection Strategy effort.

• Continue educational efforts through the Patuxent Reservoir Protection Strategy to improve best management practices and stewardship among private landowners.
• Increase forested buffer area to Primary Management Area standards through educational initiatives and voluntary implementation, and through application of PMA Guidelines on developing lands.

Maps
Land Cover	Impervious Area	Stream Condition	Management Categories

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