Ecotone Featured as Expert on How Stream Restoration Aids Farmers and the Environment

Maryland Public Television Highlights Two Projects to Showcase Ecotone’s Design Approach
When Maryland Public Television needed an expert to explain to viewers the importance of stream restoration for a recent episode, it immediately turned to Ecotone. As seen on the Dec. 1, 2020 episode of “Maryland Farm & Harvest” on MPT, Ecotone owner Scott McGill and Project Manager Chris Kidd were interviewed onsite at Willow Oaks Farm in Severn, MD on how restoring streams benefits farms, the Chesapeake Bay, and everyone who relies on nearby drinking water. MPT showcased Ecotone’s stream restoration of Yellow Branch, a tributary of Gunpowder Falls, a three-year project that redesigned a straight stream prone to flooding into a meandering one where every curve was carefully calculated. Previously, whenever there was heavy rain at Willow Oaks Farm, the stream would flood and damage crops. Willow Oaks owner Darin Martin shared how a recent flash flood caused by 4 inches of rain falling in 90 minutes caused no damage because the redesigned stream did what it was supposed to do.

In the episode, McGill shared how stream restoration is a relatively new science and streams today don’t look or function like they historically did. He explained that when you have straight streams with high banks, erosion will result each time it rains, causing sediment to flow downstream and eventually into the Bay. Lowering flood plains, adding bends to streams, and incorporating vegetation can help limit erosion. McGill added that before agricultural runoff reaches a stream, many times it goes through a wetland, and Ecotone’s incorporation of vegetation can act as a filter to process nutrients and store sediment.

Watch Episode Here: https://video.mpt.tv/video/episode-803-lzbry9/