February 26, 2021

Winter Weather is No Match for Annapolis Landing Restoration

February has graced Annapolis with the full suite of winter weather: ice storms, snow, sleet, hail, and freezing rain alike. And as luck may have it, the snowiest winter we’ve seen in a few years coincided perfectly with the start of stream restoration at Annapolis Landing. But fear not, for our incredible Meadville construction partners are equipped to work through all kinds of bad weather.

They are making great progress restoring the 1,844 linear feet of channels and tributaries that were eroding and inputting untreated storm water overflow into Beards Creek. The technique they are using involves creating a series of log-jam structures from locally sourced wood to mimic the conditions of beaver dams, thus slowing the flow and allowing the water to gradually drain into the surrounding soil.  

Storm events can pose a challenge to construction teams, as higher flows can overwhelm the pump system used to keep water out of the channel while construction is occurring. That is exactly what happened on Monday, February 22nd during another bout of freezing rain. Once the upstream pond reached capacity, a large amount of water began flowing into the stream. 

The newly constructed structures withstood the rush of water without a hitch! They functioned exactly as designed, pushing the water up and over the stream banks and into the nearby wetland area.

We are excited for more progress to come!

Chloe Obara, Chesapeake Conservation Corps 2020-21