Exploring Open Space
Introduction
Columbia Association would like to dedicate this booklet to the memory of James Rouse, the visionary and founder of Columbia.
In 1963, when Jim Rouse told the Howard County Commissioners of his plan to build a “balanced, planned community,” he described a community that would “fit naturally into the Howard County landscape, preserving the stream valleys, protecting hills and forests, and providing parks and greenbelts.”
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he goal of this pamphlet is help residents understand, preserve, and enjoy the open spaces in Columbia owned by Columbia Association (CA). CA maintains nearly 3,600 acres of Columbia’s open space. This includes 95 miles of pathways for walking, biking and jogging; 167 tot lots; 284 footbridges; three man-made lakes; 41 man-made ponds; 34 miles of stream valleys; more than 150 stormwater facilities; Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods; Wilde Lake Park; and the Lake Elkhorn Park and Pavilion. It also includes an extensive network of pedestrian underpasses and overpasses, meadows, forestland, basketball courts, public tennis courts, the Downtown Columbia Lakefront plaza, and village center plazas located throughout the community. ©2017 by Columbia Association, Columbia, Maryland 21046 Follow Columbia Association on social media! Share your thoughts, concerns, and experiences here: Facebook.com/ColumbiaAssociation Twitter.com/ColumbiaAssn Instagram.com/ColumbiaAssn YouTube.com/CATVChannel CA’s mission Working every day in hundreds of ways to make Columbia an even better place to live, work and play.
CA’s vision Making Columbia the community of choice — today and for generations to come
While open space was envisioned as Columbia’s garden for growing people, these areas are home to many different kinds of wildlife and plants. CA encourages residents to enjoy and help take care of the open space throughout Columbia. Urban lakes, streams, and the land surrounding them are resilient but delicate natural systems that are challenged by human activities. CA provides advice and incentives to residents to help reduce the introduction of alien plants, pollutants, and trash into open space. Respecting the land and valuing nature is important. CA hopes that this booklet influences how residents view CA’s open space and the natural communities. 1
Open space
Types of open space The majority of open space is woodland. This is the natural and historic land cover for this region.
The woodlands of open space range in age from new woodland parcels that have reforested since the development of Columbia in the 1960s to stands of trees more than 100 years old. The wooded parcels
wide variety of wildlife. The trees shade the pathways during the summer and provide a colorful background in the fall. Trees intercept rainfall before it hits the ground and slows the movement of water across the landscape. Trees soak up a lot of water during the growing season and increase the soil’s ability to soak up water during rain events. The leaves that fall help develop very porous soils that filter water during storms, providing a source of clean water for Columbia’s lakes, ponds and streams. The mowed areas are appealing for different reasons. They provide opportunities for structured and unstructured recreation. There are picnic tables in the park areas adjacent to Lake Elkhorn and Wilde Lake. There are benches in other, more-frequented turf areas. However, the mowed areas have limited benefits for wildlife. The meadow areas represent an environment in-between managed turf and forests. While not as attractive for structured recreation, meadows provide lots of opportunities for exploration and play. These meadows serve as sanctuaries for many birds and insects that thrive on the plants that grow and bloom in full sunlight. Open space also includes Columbia’s lakes and ponds, which are among Columbia residents’ favorite amenities. All of the lakes and ponds are man-made.
Most of the ponds serve as amenities and as stormwater facilities. The lakes all have storm drains
are generally a mix of deciduous hardwood trees. The healthy tree stands are generally larger parcels with older trees. The trees are predominantly yellow poplar, red maple and white oak. There are many other species in these stands, including sycamore, black walnut, hickory, beech and ash. The smaller parcels are usually younger stands of trees. The younger stands are dominated by black locust and cherry. Some of the most scenic woodland parcels in open space are in the villages of Long Reach, Kings Contrivance and Hickory Ridge. There are approximately 700 acres of turf areas in open space. Most of these areas are maintained
as turf to provide opportunities for recreation. These areas are mowed regularly. There are also areas where meadows have been intentionally developed. Mowing in these areas is on an annual basis, designed to prevent the growth of trees and shrubs but encourage native perennials.
The woodlands provide opportunities for unstructured recreation and exploration. Healthy
forests are visually appealing, and they are home to a 2
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that empty directly into them. Boating, fishing, viewing, hiking and biking are favored activities around the lakes. Like the forests, the lakes are home to a wide assortment of plants and animals. Understanding the streams and rivers Two rivers flow through open space. The Little Patuxent River flows through the village of Dorsey’s Search along Route 29 through Town Center and under Route 32 into the village of Kings Contrivance. The Middle Patuxent flows between the villages of River Hill and Hickory Ridge and along the south side of the village of Kings Contrivance. They ultimately join together with the Patuxent River and flow to the Chesapeake Bay. All of the smaller streams in Columbia flow to one of these rivers. The areas of Columbia that drain to the Little Patuxent River are located in the Little Patuxent River watershed. Similarly, the areas that drain to the Middle Patuxent River are located in the Middle Patuxent River watershed. Streams All of the water in the streams that flow to these rivers comes from rainfall or snow melt, which either soaks into the ground, providing the ground water that feeds the streams, or runs off the land’s surface as runoff and goes directly to the streams. Water soaking into the ground is filtered and slowed down by the ground, allowing it to travel to the streams slowly. This process provides the water in the streams
when it isn’t raining. Water that runs off the land surface travels immediately to the streams and only contributes to stream flow during the storm event or snow melt. As Columbia was built, the balance between the two routes for water to travel to a stream changed. Now, more water enters the streams as runoff and less as groundwater. Runoff from roofs, sidewalks and driveways is directed into swales between and behind homes and into common areas, open space parcels or the street. Much of the road runoff in Columbia is collected in storm drains and piped directly to the streams. The impact on our streams, ponds and lakes is evident. Our streams are eroding and our ponds and lakes fill with sediment. CA has made and continues to make substantial investments in managing eroding stream banks and sediment in the ponds and lakes.
Ponds and lakes There are three lakes and 41 ponds in CA’s open space. All are man-made and the majority serve as both amenities and stormwater facilities. Some ponds are owned by CA, and CA is responsible for their maintenance, including structural repairs. In the villages of River Hill and portions of the villages of Kings Contrivance and Long Reach, CA owns the ponds but the Howard County Government is responsible for the structural maintenance. This is the result of Columbia being developed over a 30-year period and county and state policy on stormwater management changing during that period. Floating wetlands have been placed in several of CA’s lakes and ponds. The floating wetlands provide food and shelter for fish and aquatic insects, reduce 4
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winter. Other species are residents and live among us in our natural and managed areas. There are many birds that can be seen while walking the paths, including redhead and mallard ducks, barred owls, red-tailed hawks, Canadian geese, bald eagles, northern cardinals, Baltimore orioles, starlings and many more. More than 100 species of birds have been observed around Lake Elkhorn by participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
pollutants in the water, and provide habitat for butterflies and birds. Many of our ponds are fed by streams. For example, Patriot Pond in Oakland Mills has a stream that flows into and out of it. Some of the ponds are fed almost exclusively by stormwater runoff. The pond behind Columbia Gym in the River Hill Village Center receives the majority of its water from road, parking lot, and roof runoff from the area around the village center.
Mammals Columbia’s open space has a wide variety of mammals. Because the large mammals require a lot of room, they have home ranges, or areas they move around in to meet their needs. They use both open space and other properties as they move around. Deer live and roam home-range areas between 1 and 1½ square miles. Coyotes also use open space; they will roam areas of 2 square miles or more. The smaller mammals like raccoons, possums and foxes use smaller areas. The smallest mammals like mice and voles live in much smaller areas but represent the largest mammal population. Most coexist with residents and are hardly noticed. Some, like deer, have a profound impact on the vegetation in open space and on private property.
Wild things
Since most wildlife prefers to live in a natural setting, the abundance of natural areas in Columbia provides for a richness of wildlife not seen in most urban areas. The diversity of wildlife in open space is a blessing, but the abundance of wildlife is not always seen as one.
Birds Many different species of birds inhabit our natural areas, from the mighty eagle, turkey and great blue heron to the tiny warblers. Some birds are migratory, meaning they stop in Columbia during their travels north or south. Some come to the area to breed during warmer weather, and some stay here over 6
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Aquatic life Columbia’s lakes, ponds and streams are home to many creatures. Some of the freshwater fish species in our lakes include pumpkinseed and bluegill, as well as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie, and gizzard shad. Lake Elkhorn is stocked with trout every spring. On the lake floor, rusty crayfish and mussels have been found hanging out with our very healthy turtle population. Sliders — painted and yellow eared turtles — can be seen basking in the sun, and snapping turtles can be seen in the shallows. Aquatic vegetation Vegetation is an important and often misunderstood aspect of our ponds and lakes. Native aquatic plants, such as coontail, elodea (common pond weed), and duckweed provide food for many animals and filter the water. Aquatic vegetation also provides habitat
to snails, fish, insects and insect larvae (i.e. dragonflies). There are a number of non-native aquatic
Amphibians and reptiles According to the Amphibian and Reptile Atlas compiled by the Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation, there are seven species of turtles, two
species of lizards, 12 species of snakes, seven species of salamanders, two species of toads and seven species of frogs that live in and around our open space.
Some of the reptiles and amphibians are land dwellers and some inhabit the lakes, ponds and streams in open space. The turtles that inhabit the ponds and lakes are especially popular.
plants like Eurasian milfoil and hydrilla that grow in the lakes and can require active management to prevent excessive growth. The lakes and ponds also grow lots of algae. Different types of algae grow in different ways. Long, stringy filamentous green algae grow on the bottom of the lakes most of the time. It will occasionally float up to the surface in large unsightly mats. Free-floating microscopic algae, plankton, is always present. Excessive growths of planktonic algae can turn the lakes green.
Insects and others invertebrates The most abundant creatures in open space are invertebrates — insects and spiders and all of the other little creatures without a spine. For the most part, these creatures are unseen by people and go about their business. Some we love to watch, like the butterflies. Some we like what they do but don’t like interacting with them, like bees. We are dependent on many of them without realizing it.
The larvae of dragonflies and many of the water beetles eat mosquito larvae, helping to control mosquito populations. Praying mantises feed on other insects, providing a natural form of insect control. Many introduced pests, like the brown marmorated stink bug and the emerald ash borer, have no natural controls here, and we struggle to find ways to reduce or eliminate their impact. 8
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space, nature is managed as a meadow. This means that the grass is allowed to grow and will only be cut back once or twice a year. Allowing vegetation to grow
provides valuable habitat for birds and other animals and helps to reduce the amount of pollutants reaching the water.
Where the wild things live All of the creatures that live in open space use the plants, water, and soil as homes. One of their favorite places for building homes is in the vegetation. Many creatures hide among the leaves and branches or burrow in dead trunks. When the vegetation dies, it continues to provide a home for wild creatures. Dead trees and branches, called woody debris, are considered essential to a healthy forest. Woody
CA takes care of the open water in open space. Soil collects in the lakes and ponds as sediment after heavy rains and can make them become shallower over time. Getting rid of the extra soil through dredging makes the lakes and ponds a better place for birds and fish to live. Stream banks are also being repaired. Over time, the stream banks have gotten steeper from erosion during rain storms. Repairing streams improves the habitat in the stream and reduces the soil going to the lakes as sediment. Some landscape features in open space, such as wetlands, hold water after it rains. Residents should not change these features by digging trenches to drain the water. If you are concerned that an area is flooded for an extended amount of time, please contact CA’s Open Space Management office at 410-312-6330. Overpopulation of some wildlife species Animal activity also impacts the health of open space. Some of the animals, like deer and geese, have
debris provides homes for the wild inhabitants of open space, and once it has decayed creates the
porous rich forest soils that grow healthy forests and help soak up rainfall.
Preserving and enhancing
Open space is many things to many people. It is there for everyone and it will be there in the future. CA’s vision for the forests in open space is that they will become and remain healthy mature forests. Healthy forests include large hardwood trees, creating a high canopy of leaves and branches under which a second story of smaller shrubs and trees thrive and there is a thick cover of small plants on the ground.
How CA preserves nature in open space Achieving the goal of healthy mature forests requires a community effort. Trees are planted throughout open space to help encourage healthy forests. In some open 10
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developed large enough populations that they have detrimental impacts on open space. The deer consume lots of vegetation and have altered the composition of the forests. Deer eat many of the young hardwood trees that would replace older trees that have died and leave only the trees and shrubs they don’t prefer to eat. Some of the geese have taken up full-time residence in Columbia instead of migrating north to breed and south to winter. The overabundance of geese has a detrimental influence on water quality in our ponds and lakes. The overpopulation of deer and geese is a result of favorable habitat, the absence of natural predators and the decrease in hunting due to the development of the region. How residents can preserve nature in open space Residents can help control both plants and wildlife. Wildlife is best viewed, but left to fend for itself. Feeding wildlife is not necessarily healthy for wildlife. Planting
plants that are native and that provide seeds and berries helps wildlife more than most of our attempts to feed wildlife. When buying plants for your yard,
selecting native or non-invasive plants will help reduce the spread of unwanted species.
Non-native invasive plants There are many plants that have been introduced to the forests that have no native controls like deer or insects eating them. This helps these very prolific plants out-compete the native plants. These plants are called non-native invasive plants and are particularly prevalent along the edges of wooded parcels. Some — like English ivy, winter creeper, Eurasian bittersweet and
honeysuckle — damage and even kill trees when uncontrolled in the forest. Large stands of non-native invasive plants like bamboo and autumn olive crowd out all other plants. Residents can help by not planting invasive species in their yards. You can also volunteer as a Weed Warrior and help remove invasive plants throughout open space. The Weed Warrior program is a great way to spend time in nature and enhance open space for future generations. Slow the flow Before you put fertilizer on your lawn, always get a soil test. CA offers free soil testing to all residents. Overfertilizing the grass around your property can cause harmful algal blooms in the lakes and ponds. The extra fertilizer that your lawn doesn’t need washes away when it rains and goes into the lakes and ponds. Soil testing bags are available at your village community association office. The free soil test will give you a better idea about what your yard needs to be healthy. Most yards in Columbia can be improved by mulching leaves. To mulch your leaves, grind them with a mower in a circular pattern, starting from the outside. This will cut up the leaves and let them naturally help your soil. Mulching leaves also keeps the storm drains from getting clogged and backed up. A rain garden is a bowl-shaped garden that will collect rain water and let it soak into the ground. Rain gardens slow the flow of water during storms. They also allow the water to be filtered naturally as it travels underground, as opposed to the sewer system. Rain gardens are planted with native plants, trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers. Native plants usually require less fertilizer, are resistant to insects, and are adapted to local soil and climate conditions. CA, through a grant
with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, will pay 75 percent of your rain garden cost. 12
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Resident recreational usage
Nearly a quarter of the land in Columbia is protected as open space. Open space provides a place for walking, fishing, bird watching, biking, picnics, and many other activities. Columbia Association maintains nearly 3,600 acres of open space and 95 miles of walking paths throughout the community.
Domestic pets Domestic pets are allowed on walking paths throughout the community as long as they are on a leash. Columbia DogPark is a 2.7-acre venue for four-legged fun! The area is divided into two separate fenced areas for small and large dogs. Please be sure to always properly dispose of your pet’s waste, whether in public or in your own yard. You wouldn’t let your pet potty in the bathtub, so please don’t let them contaminate our lakes! Pet waste is a large source of the bacteria that gets into our ponds and lakes. Nutrients from pet waste help feed algae blooms in the ponds and lakes. Cleaning up
after pets when off your property and removing accumulations of pet waste on your own property is required under Section 17.300 of the Howard County Animal Control Law. Picking up after your pets is
a great way to protect open space for future generations. There are doggy waste stations located near walking paths and lakes to provide bags and receptacles for the waste.
If you are interested in participating in or learning more about the various Open Space programs, such as • Weed Warriors, • Lawn soil testing, and the • Rain Garden Cost Share Program, please inquire at OpenSpace.ResourceRequests@ ColumbiaAssociation.org.
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Walking/biking paths provide transportation throughout the community. There is a CA pathway application that is available for downloading onto your mobile device via the Apple Store or Google Play Store. A pathways map is also available online, at your village community association’s office, or at CA’s Customer and Member Service Center. Residents are encouraged to protect the open space by reporting vandalism, illegal dumping, hazardous trees, or any facilities that need attention. CA’s Open Space Management office can be reached at 410-312-6330.
CA open space rules and regulations • Weapons of any kind (including but not limited to firearms, knives and paintball guns) are prohibited on Columbia Association (CA) open space except for those carried by a duly authorized law enforcement officer. • Fishing is allowed, except in posted areas, provided it is done in conformity with county and state law. • Closed parks: CA’s open space, pathway system and amenities are closed from dusk until dawn. No person may enter CA parks when such lands are closed. • Bathing, swimming and ice skating are not allowed in or on any of CA’s lakes or ponds. Camping is not allowed on CA open space without written permission. • Private water craft are permitted on CA lakes only. Permits available at CA’s Open Space Management office located at 9450 Gerwig Lane. The maximum length of any craft is 16 feet. No motorized craft of any kind are allowed, except by written contract with CA. Small electric motors are permitted. • Commercial enterprises/organized activities: No person may sell, offer for sale, or erect signs or notices with respect to the sale of merchandise or services, or conduct any business enterprises or organized events on CA open space without a written agreement. • No sign, notice or noise shall be made to attract attention to any kind of exhibition without written permission from CA. • Fires or portable charcoal grills are only to be used in conjunction with an event that is allowed in designated areas via a written agreement with CA. Fires and grills must be continuously under the care of a person who is at least 18 years of age. Every fire must be thoroughly extinguished before leaving. Damage resulting from unattended and/or non-extinguished fires will be the responsibility of the violator. 15
• Lighted matches, cigars, cigarettes, or other burning objects must be properly extinguished. Smoking is not allowed in or immediately around the vicinity of CA’s tot lots. • Refuse and rubbish must be properly disposed of in receptacles provided for the purpose. Any litter or discharge of waste material on the open space lands or waters of CA are prohibited. Recycling containers are to be used only for the items shown on the containers’ signs. • Injury, defacement or disturbance of any building, open space, sign, equipment or CA property and, except under written agreement, the removal or destruction of any tree, flower, fern, shrub or other plant, rock or animal in CA parks is prohibited. • Gambling or games of chance are prohibited on CA open space without written CA permission. • Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on CA open space without a written CA permit. • Personal conduct: No person may perform obscene or indecent acts; throw stones or other projectiles; interfere with others’ peaceful enjoyment of the open space; obstruct any drive, path, dock or open space area; or do any act that amounts to a breach of the peace. Unduly loud noises from a radio, musical instrument, or similar device are prohibited. • Traffic and parking on CA open space are under the direction of CA staff or Howard County Police. Operating any motorized conveyance (with the exception of electric bicycles as defined under Maryland law and personal mobility devices) within parklands, on pathways or in any other place not customarily used for motorized vehicular traffic is prohibited. Not all of CA's pathways are suited for the use of electric bicycles and personal mobility devices, and caution should be used in operating them. CA open space may not be used in such a way as to infringe upon the safe flow of traffic in neighboring streets. • No structures, either temporary or permanent, may be erected on open space, nor may any alteration of open space property take place without the written permission of CA. • Users of any portion of the CA open space system, by such use, acknowledge and agree to comply with these rules and regulations and further acknowledge and agree that their images may be recorded as necessary from time to time for appropriate surveillance. • Other rules and regulations: On certain parcels of CA open space (such as Wilde Lake Park, Downtown Columbia Lakefront area and the open space around Lake Elkhorn) there may be additional open space rules and regulations. These rules and regulations are posted on the property, on CA’s website (under “About Us/CA Open Space”), and are available from CA’s Open Space Management Division. • Remote-controlled aircraft: The use of remote-controlled aircraft (drones) is prohibited on or over CA open space without CA’s prior written approval. To obtain approval, contact CA’s Open Space Management office at 410-312-6330. 16
Boating – Rowing, canoeing, kayaking, and sailboating are allowed at specific locations, provided the following conditions are observed. • Private water crafts are allowed with a CA permit. CA permits are available at 9450 Gerwig Lane. • No vessel exceeding 16 feet in length shall be operated on Columbia lakes or ponds. • No motorized craft of any kind are allowed, except by written contract with CA. Small electric motors are permitted. • Each person must wear a life jacket or personal flotation device. • Splashing or ramming boats is prohibited. • Docking or mooring boats at CA boat docks for more than two hours is prohibited. • Do not litter: No garbage, sewage, or other waste material may be dumped, discharged, or placed in Columbia. • Boats must be hand-carried to and from the vehicle to the dock for launching. No vehicles are allowed on pathways or boat ramps. • “Windsurfing”-style boats are prohibited • Children younger than 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult while using the boats. • No person will operate any vessel on CA waters while under the influence of alcohol, or any narcotic, drug, or barbiturate. • Boats shall not be operated in a reckless or negligent manner. Fishing – Is allowed, except in posted areas, as long as the following criteria are met: • All anglers age 16 and older must have a valid Maryland fishing license. All state laws shall apply. • Fishing is catch and release only. • Tackle will consist of artificial lures only. No live bait may be in the angler’s possession. Lake Elkhorn is stocked with trout every spring and has a convenient boat dock for quiet relaxation on the lake. Wilde Lake is 22 acres and features a 1.46-mile walking path around the shore. Wilde Lake flows downstream into Lake Kittamaqundi. Located in Downtown Columbia, Lake Kittamaqundi is a 27-acre lake with a wooden pier. Receptacles for used fishing line are located near the docks. Please do not throw excess fishing line into nature, as it harms the wildlife. Hunting – The transportation and carrying of bows and arrows and firearms are prohibited on CA open space land. ! Bathing and swimming are not allowed in any of CA’s lakes or
ponds. During warm weather, bacterial levels may be elevated following a rain event. Camping is not allowed on CA open space without written ! permission. ! Please do not feed the wildlife. The goal is to live among nature, not domesticate animals to the point that they can no longer feed themselves. 17