On Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Falls Library, the senior conservation specialist of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Willie Wood, will meet with the Storm Water Management Subcommittee of the Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA) to begin an effort to develop and implement voluntary best practice guidelines for homeowners, HOAs and turf management companies to better manage stormwater runoff. This will include environmentally friendly turf management practices and attractive and innovative landscaping measures such as rain gardens. The GFCA sees this as an educational initiative.

The subcommittee also intends to select one or more ponds in Great Falls as demonstration projects where the best practice guidelines developed can be applied to show how citizens can improve our own water quality. The subcommittee would also like to develop some form of recognition for homeowners and HOAs who embrace these best practices.

The GFCA is also working to study county stormwater management practices to seek improvements. More information on GFCA’s storm water management initiative is on the association's website at www.gfca.org.

Come to the meeting on Feb. 13 – learn about the stormwater problem, and help kick-start this important effort to improve the quality of the water in our streams and ponds right here in Great Falls. The meeting is open to the public, and all are welcome.