Beechnut Kennels Bioretention

Working with local businesses and landowners to treat upland stormwater at the source is key to fulfilling the Federation’s mission of making our rivers swimmable and fishable for all. The Federation is partnering with Beechnut Kennels in Edgewater to do just that.

In 2017, Beechnut approached the Federation out of concern for the stormwater leaving the site and flowing into an ephemeral stream nearby. The worry was that stormwater flowing from the outdoor dog yards is likely contaminated with traces of cleaning products. Aside from potential contamination, flows were also crossing the parking lot and eroding a portion of slope in front of the business.

To remedy these issues, the Federation partnered with Resource Restoration Group to design and construct a bio-retention system with a forebay to capture and treat this stormwater on site. A forebay now captures and treats the stormwater before it flows in the bio-retention basin, where special soils allow the water to soak in the ground. A diverse array of native wetland plants also soak up and filter stormwater while providing food and habitat for local fauna and pollinators. Construction was completed in Spring 2020.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Anne Arundel County Watershed Protection and Restoration Program and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.