We are used to having Columbia and Howard County recognized nationally for our quality of life attributes. With the development of the Merriweather District, we might soon add "cultural community" to those attributes according to a recent article in the Baltimore Sun.
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There is a clear division between the Republican states and the Democratic states. This is another example of the reality of "two Americas." After Maine, you have to go down to number 22 to find another "red" state.
1. Vermont
Number of people fully vaccinated: 401,475
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 64.34
2. Massachusetts
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,135,231
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 60.
3. Maine
Number of people fully vaccinated: 804,785
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 59.87
4. Connecticut
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,104,399
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 59.02
5. Rhode Island
Number of people fully vaccinated: 607,185
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 57.32
6. New Hampshire
Number of people fully vaccinated: 745,875
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 54.86
7. New Jersey
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,849,487
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 54.6
8. Maryland
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,250,772
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 53.77
9. Washington
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,030,435
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 52.93
10. New Mexico
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,100,060
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 52.46
11. New York
Number of people fully vaccinated: 10,157,661
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 52.21
12. Oregon
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,176,923
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 51.61
13. Hawaii
Number of people fully vaccinated: 720,874
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.91
14. District of Columbia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 357,817
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.7
15. Virginia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,296,689
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.34
16. Minnesota
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,837,275
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.31
17. Colorado
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,891,061
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.2
18. Pennsylvania
Number of people fully vaccinated: 6,209,491
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 48.5
19. California
Number of people fully vaccinated: 19,073,838
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 48.27
20. Delaware
Number of people fully vaccinated: 467,071
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 47.97
21. Wisconsin
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,791,751
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 47.95
22. Iowa
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,484,804
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 47.06
23. Michigan
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,602,901
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 46.09
24. Nebraska
Number of people fully vaccinated: 873,493
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 45.16
25. South Dakota
Number of people fully vaccinated: 393,528
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 44.48
26. Illinois
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,627,021
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 44.41
27. Florida
Number of people fully vaccinated: 9,470,079
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 44.09
28. Ohio
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,104,871
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 43.67
29. Kentucky
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,885,399
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 42.2
30. Alaska
Number of people fully vaccinated: 305,948
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 41.82
31. Montana
Number of people fully vaccinated: 444,781
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 41.62
32. Kansas
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,194,155
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 40.99
33. Nevada
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,249,921
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 40.58
34. Texas
Number of people fully vaccinated: 11,530,134
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 39.76
35. Indiana
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,628,986
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 39.05
36. Arizona
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,839,623
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 39.01
37. North Carolina
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,053,490
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 38.65
38. North Dakota
Number of people fully vaccinated: 291,678
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 38.27
39. Missouri
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,335,942
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 38.06
40. Oklahoma
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,477,077
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 37.33
41. South Carolina
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,904,884
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 37.
42. West Virginia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 654,167
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 36.5
43. Utah
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,150,611
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 35.89
44. Idaho
Number of people fully vaccinated: 630,500
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 35.28
45. Georgia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,696,341
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 34.81
46. Tennessee
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,358,133
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 34.53
47. Louisiana
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,571,377
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 33.8
48. Wyoming
Number of people fully vaccinated: 194,322
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 33.58
49. Arkansas
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,007,385
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 33.38
50. Alabama
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,563,573
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 31.89
51. Mississippi
Number of people fully vaccinated: 859,124
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 28.87
You may have noticed that many of our streams have major erosion damage that has required dredging of our lakes.
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We first explained the benefits of this stream restoration project a few months ago, before construction equipment came in and trees were removed. Columbia Association’s (CA) Open Space team has some updates to share as we head into the next phase of this work.
Watershed Manager John McCoy has been following the progress on this project since it began. It is one of the larger stream restoration efforts that has taken place on CA’s Open Space. The aesthetics of this part of the project are not lost on McCoy and his team. That said, the long-term environmental benefits are substantial for the stream, our lakes and the Columbia community at large. Plus, the $2.2 million project is being paid for entirely by the state.
The main factor McCoy and crews with Ecotone (the company hired by the State Highway Administration to transform this into a healthier stream system) are trying to combat is erosion. The goal is to restore the stream to a more stable state, which means slowing down the flow and flattening out the steep banks that had been created over time.
This not only returns the waterways in that immediate area back to their original form, but it also prevents sand and sediment from being carried downstream. That material eventually ends up in Wilde Lake and Lake Kittamaqundi, creating the need for large-scale dredging projects. Being proactive with stream restoration efforts limit the potential need for those more expensive, reactionary undertakings in the future. This project in particular is expected to reduce the amount of sediments going into Columbia’s lakes by 30%.
McCoy explains the progress on the stream restoration project firsthand in this video.
What McCoy refers to as the construction phase of the project is complete. It’s important to remember that just because a waterway is attractive does not mean it’s the healthiest it can be.
Think about this: Before there was any widespread development in Columbia, our waterways flowed very differently than what we’re used to. Stream edges were naturally graded out so water could overflow onto the land during a rain event, unconfined by steep banks.
McCoy gives the example of the stream system in the Howard County Conservancy. As he points out, you can see that waterway has:
“This is what bugs live under. The bugs feed the fish and the fish feed the mammals and the birds, so it’s a healthy system, and it isn’t all that clean in appearance. It does appear to have a little bit of debris in it, but this is what a healthy stream system looks like.”
Yep, just like us humans, the animal food chain prefers a more solid foundation to their home.
When the project began in the Harpers Choice area, there was a significant drop off into the stream rather than an optimal, gradual slope. McCoy says crews are trying to recreate “flood plain benches” like the ones by the water at the Conservancy so the stream isn’t confined to the steep, eroded banks it was held to before.
When you complete a renovation on your home, there’s often that moment of mess when a homeowner wonders, “Why did I do this?” It is safe to say that some of those who live and work around this project are in that stage right now.
That said, rebuilding anything often takes some tearing down before building up. To restore this stream for the betterment of our community and the nature we’re working to preserve, McCoy points to a number of tools that may seem random, but are actually intentional and useful for creating a wonderful environment in the future.
If you look into the stream bed, you may notice rock of all shapes and sizes. That gravel, McCoy says, is an essential part of stabilizing the stream and providing grade control.
Smaller rocks will keep the floor in place, especially now that sand is not the primary material sitting at the bottom of the stream. Bigger rocks create elements that dam up water and cause it to pool.
The optimal set-up for streams like this one includes what are known as riffles. You might describe them as little rapids. These sections of rock allow for a steady gradient between each pool. McCoy estimates the riffles in the stream are now allowing the water to drop about 18 inches, but in a much more controlled way. What you’ll likely see along the stream is a riffle, then a pool, another riffle and pool, followed by – you guessed it – a riffle and a pool.
Additionally, the rocks also provide an optimal home for insects, and where there are bugs, other wildlife is bound to follow.
There are a few ways Ecotone has been utilizing tree trunks and roots to create new features and help the stream get back to its natural state.
First, large masses of root systems are being held in by fiber mats along the banks of the stream. Why? McCoy says that helps to naturally stabilize those banks until plant material has a chance to grow. It also will help when the current picks up.
“Those root wads help break that force up and reduce the erosive nature of it,” McCoy said.
McCoy says the root wads also make for a nice habitat for fish and other aquatic life.
Second, tree trunks have been methodically laid across the stream to act as what’s known as a spreader.
“When the creek rises to the point where water is in contact with this log, the water begins to flow laterally into the flood plain, and this is used to help get water out into the flood plain, push it out,” McCoy said. “This is one of the primary objectives of the whole project. We’re trying to reconnect this stream to its flood plain.”
Third, just like the large rocks, logs buried in the stream channel for additional grade control.
It’s important to note that CA plans to plant over 1,000 trees in the area surrounding the stream. While it will take time, we are excited to witness the growth of this new forest with the neighbors that cherish the area.
How is the area a floodplain if the old stream didn’t overflow very often? Well, Howard County has designated the land around the stream as a floodplain, which speaks to the need to recreate the space and let nature do what it was intended to do. The process slows down the water’s flow, allowing sediment to drop out.
“When this project was just starting up, this stream had three-foot banks. They were straight cut down, and the stream had cut down far enough that during a moderate storm event, it would not rise up and get out into the flood plain.”
Additionally, McCoy says wildlife habitats will be improved by restoring the stream back to its more organic element.
Any construction in the area should be completed within the next two to three weeks, weather permitting. While a lot of the woody debris on the site is advantageous to future natural habitats, McCoy is also continuously working with the company to remove some of the unnecessary debris neighbors have been concerned about.
Live stake planting will begin in mid-February followed by the planting of all kinds of native species of shrubs and trees. Then, tree and shrub planting should happen in March or April depending on the weather (see chart below for the number of trees and shrubs we expect to plant). After that, things should green up in time for spring, bringing even more diverse habitats and wildlife in the years to come. Ecotone is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the area for five years, but CA will be active in the space as well, working on deer browse control and helping to ensure plantings are successful.
| Plant Name | Plant Type | Estimated Planting Time | Quantity |
| Sandbar Willow | Tree (Live Stake) | Mid-February | 2,486 |
| Sky Dogwood | Tree (Live Stake) | Mid-February | 2,484 |
| Black Willow | Tree (Live Stake) | Mid-February | 2,483 |
| American Sycamore | Tree (Riparian) | March/April | 780 |
| River Birch | Tree (Riparian) | March/April | 390 |
| Silver Maple | Tree (Riparian) | March/April | 389 |
| Swamp White Oak | Tree (Riparian) | March/April | 388 |
| Arrowwood Viburnum | Shrub (Riparian) | March/April | 240 |
| Winterberry Holly | Shrub (Riparian) | March/April | 240 |
| Redosier Dogwood | Shrub (Riparian) | March/April | 240 |
| Black Chokeberry | Shrub (Riparian) | March/April | 230 |
| Hazel Alder | Shrub (Wetlands) | March/April | 74 |
| Buttonbush | Shrub (Wetlands) | March/April | 73 |
| Red Chokeberry | Shrub (Wetlands) | March/April | 72 |
| Common Ninebark | Shrub (Wetlands) | March/April | 72 |
TOTAL TREES – 9,400
TOTAL SHRUBS – 1,241
TOTAL PLANTINGS – 10,641
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