Scouts Helping Clean Up Water In Coppermine Creek

-Kay Schultz
Community Restoration Coordinator
Frederick County DPW

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Saturday morning was bright and beautiful.  Coppermine Branch, the small meandering tributary of Linganore Creek that flows south through the campus of St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church to its confluence with Town Branch got some help from a group of its neighbors.  Troop 1062 scouts, their leader and parents joined neighbors and together planted more than 100 sedges Saturday, September 9th  in Libertytown.

St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church is one of four sponsors of the Libertytown Stewards project, funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Frederick County – all for the purpose of helping filter pollutants and improve water quality in Town Branch and its tributaries, Linganore Creek, Lake Linganore and the rivers and Bay beyond.  The project is a high priority, in part because Lake Linganore has too much pollution flowing into it.  For that reason a pollution cap has been set to reduce sediment and phosphorus flowing into the lake.

Kay Schultz, the County’s Community Restoration Coordinator demonstrated how to prepare and plant the sedge, removing grass from around the plant to reduce competition for nutrients and water.  Dan Duncan and Kelly Neff dug holes for the plants while Earlene Duncan and Kelly separated and opened up the roots for each sedge plant and laid them out along a 120 foot frontage on both sides of the creek.

The sedge planting described here is phase one at St. Peter’s.  Phase 2  of the project is planting ninety-five native trees and shrubs on October 28th .  Swamp White Oaks, Pin Oaks, Black Willows and River Birch will be planted at each end of the property along with smaller companion trees including Common Hackberry and Common Persimmon.  Shrubs will shade both sides of the creek for 2/3 of its path through the church’s property including Common Elderberry, Southern Arrow Wood, Red Ozier Dogwood, and Winterberry Holly.   Small shrubs and trees will be planted among the mature trees on the far side of the creek; species will include Eastern Redbud, Spice Bush, Serviceberry, and a low growing evergreen shrub, Wintergreen Checkerberry.  For additional information about the October 28th tree planting party, contact Kay Schultz at kschultz@fredco-md.net or 301 694-1741.

The Libertytown Stewards project includes the establishment of four rain gardens, one at Liberty Elementary and three at Liberty Village.  Another sponsor is Libertytown Community Park where another tree planting event is planned for October 21st.  Contact Kay Schultz for additional information.