Westminster, MD, Thursday, February 25, 2021 – The Carroll County Bureau of Resource Management briefed the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on the ongoing Piney Run Watershed Study project. The county began the study in October 2019, initiated at the direction from the Maryland Department of the Environment, to evaluate the condition of the dam and determine if there are any inadequacies that need to be addressed.  The analysis is complete, and today the bureau presented the background of the dam, results of the study and alternatives for improvements to the dam.

Residents are now invited to attend public meetings to discuss the Piney Run Watershed Study and offer feedback to the commissioners. There are two public meetings on Thursday, March 11, 2021 from either 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The meetings will be held virtually via Zoom. Residents should register for the meeting using the following links:

1:00 p.m. meeting - https://bit.ly/3tW5lvl

6:00 p.m. meeting - https://bit.ly/2LHRbNk

Participants are welcome to attend and listen only or participate by asking questions.  Comments and questions are also welcome by emailing the address PineyRunStudy@carrollcountymd.gov.  There is no deadline for registering for either meeting.

The goal for the March 11th meetings is to educate the public about the study results and discuss the alternatives.  The comments and discussion will be shared with the commissioners before holding a Public Hearing on a future date. After the public hearing and a 10-day open record period to receive more public comment, a date for a final decision will be scheduled.  

The watershed study is financed by a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant and is being performed by AECOM, an international firm with resources specializing in dam engineering.

Information about the Piney Run Watershed Study and the meeting notice can be found on the county’s webpage https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/pineyrunwatershedstudy/  Updates will appear on the webpage throughout the remainder of the study process.  For more information, contact the Bureau Chief of Resource Management, Christopher Heyn, at  PineyRunStudy@carrollcountymd.gov or 410-386-2712.

Open session is available for viewing on the county meeting portal and the county YouTube channel. In addition, all meetings will be replayed on Comcast Channel 24.