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Stream and
Wetland Restoration
The Problem
Our rivers are polluted because the land uphill of our rivers, which were once lined with forests and dotted with large wetlands (both of which filter water) have been densely developed or used for agriculture. Development hardens the land, not allowing water to soak in and sends high volumes of water, also called stormwater runoff, into our streams, carrying pollutants into the river each time
it rains. The rushing stormwater erodes the stream banks, sending literally tons of dirt into the river, suffocating fish nursery beds and killing off underwater grasses. The water running off lawns and agricultural lands can carry high amounts of excess nutrients that cause harmful algae blooms and dead zones.
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Before it's restoration, this degraded stream at Broad Creek Park deposited more than 25 dump truck loads of sediment into the South River Annually
The Solution
Arundel Rivers stream restoration projects aim to slow down and filter the stormwater, thus preventing a significant portion of the dirt and excess nutrients from reaching tidal creeks. Stream restoration projects seeking to slow the flow of runoff through the installation of a series of habitat pools which
capture runoff, slow it's velocity, and remove nutrients as it travels through the system. Other stream restoration projects focus on reconnecting the stream to it's floodplain to spread storm flows throughout the valley in a non-erosive manner that also rehydrates critical habitat. Every project and site is unique so Arundel Rivers works carefully with engineers and partners to find the right design for each individual site.
Post-restoration volunteers plant native plants along the re-connected floodplain at Broad Creek Park
Shaping Streams
A healthy stream should flow at around the same surface elevation as the surrounding floodplain, allowing the water to spill over the banks and slowly spread out across the landscape during rain events. Eroded stormwater-driven streams often look like mini-ravines, with the stream flow several feet below the floodplain elevation. Consequently, stormwater is confined to the channel, where it picks up speed and further erodes the bank. We use a variety of construction techniques to fill in our raise up the stream bottom so that it is once more connected to the surrounding landscape, reducing the negative impacts of runoff and enhancing habitat
Featured Stream Restoration Projects
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