The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection will host its first World Water Day celebration at Wheaton Regional Park this Saturday.
World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance emphasizing the importance of fresh water.
Attendees can participate in various activities, including guided nature walks, a piñata exhibit, and Youth Trout Fishing Day, which allows young people to fish for rainbow trout one week before the regular fishing season opens.
“This year marks the 32nd anniversary of World Water Day,” County Executive Marc Elrich said in a press release. “Although water covers 71 percent of the Earth, only three percent is fresh and drinkable. It is easy for us to take for granted that we have safe drinking water, but 2.2 billion people worldwide live without access to safe fresh water. Come out and learn how you can play a part in protecting our waterways to ensure safe drinking water.”
Join us for a piñata exhibit during World Water Day on Saturday, March 22, from 11a.m. to 3p.m. at the Wheaton Regional Park! Support local artisans who make piñatas from recycled materials, there will be an opportunity to purchase. pic.twitter.com/sYUF57AgNN
— Montgomery County Dept of Environmental Protection (@MyGreenMC) March 14, 2025
This year’s World Water Day theme is “Save Our Glaciers” and will emphasize the importance of protecting our waterways. According to the United Nations, glaciers melt at an alarming rate as global temperatures rise, leading to floods, droughts, landslides, and rising sea levels.
“Our Montgomery County local waterways are a primary source of drinking water,” said Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Director Jon Monger. “We are excited to sponsor an event where different cultures and communities can come together and celebrate the importance of clean water and highlight the work DEP is doing to protect it.”
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will also have its Mobile First Catch Fishing Center on-site to lend fishing equipment and provide hands-on instruction. Pine Lake in Wheaton Regional Park will be fully stocked with rainbow trout before Youth Trout Fishing Day, in which children aged 15 and under can participate.
Youth fishing will also be permitted on Saturday from sunrise to sunset at the ponds at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park in Silver Spring and Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park in Ashton, both of which the Maryland DNR will stock with rainbow trout.
“We are thrilled to provide young anglers the opportunity to fish in a freshly stocked lake,” said Montgomery Parks natural resources specialist Rachel Gauza. “If we can get children interested in fishing and water ecology now, they will be more mindful about taking care of our natural resources in the future.”
The celebration of World Water Day will be held this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wheaton Regional Park. For more information, visit mygreenmontgomery.org.
Photo: © Oksana Kumer – stock.adobe.com