The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) was in the construction phase of the Hickory Bypass project in Harford County, MD. The environmental regulatory authorities were pressuring the Administration to develop an overall wetland and stream mitigation package. SHA was having difficulty finding sites with high potential for wetland and stream restoration in a watershed comprised primarily of private lands.

SHA contacted Ecotone to assist them in identifying good potential restoration sites within the local watershed. Ecotone was able to locate several sites, negotiate site access, and developed a conceptual restoration plan for the selected site. Located on the East Branch Winters Run, the selected site had been previously channelized and the adjacent riparian wetlands had been drained and tiled for agricultural use. Ecotone negotiated a conservation easement purchase with the landowner and developed the final wetland and stream restoration plans. The pre-design assessment work involved an overall geomorphic and hydrologic study of East Branch Winters Run and its floodplain, located in the Fallston area of Harford County, Maryland. The stream, draining a 9 square mile catchment area, had been channelized and straightened in 1970’s, resulting in excessive bank erosion and degradation of the channel bed. Streambanks exhibited high erosion potential, portions of the stream had become excessively wide, and the stream had degraded its bed, eliminating natural access to the floodplain during high discharge events. Using fluvial geomorphic principles and natural stability concepts, the restoration design included reconstruction of the channel to establish a stable plan, dimension and profile as well as provide robust wetland hydrology for the adjacent 7 acres of constructed non-tidal wetlands.

The construction documents prepared by Ecotone, Inc. and approved by the regulatory agencies, included grading plans, existing and proposed cross-sections, profiles, stream stabilization structure details, sediment and erosion control plans, geometry plan, bioengineering and wetland planting plans, specifications and a special provisions package. The landowner was compensated in return for recording a conservation easment on the restored wetland and stream acreage, as well as an access easement for long-term maintenance. Ecotone provided construction oversight during the entire construction period in the summer of 2003. The project restored 7 acres of high quality riparian wetlands and restored over 1,700 linear feet of the East Branch Winters Run.