Event Details: MSRA Spring/Summer Field Trip to the JMT Eccleston Restoration Project
When: Wednesday, June 24th
Where: Parking / Meeting - Eccleston is located at the intersection of Park Heights Ave and Greenspring Valley Road in Garrison Md 21117. If you search the site on Google it will show up as "Eccleston Restoration Site" and Google maps will take to the parking location off of Greenspring Valley Road. Parking on the site is a grass field that may be partially mowed. For those who prefer parking on asphalt, you can park on the shoulder along Park Heights Ave. Both field and road parking are noted on the map provided. Another parking option to limit cars on site is the Meadowood Regional Park located at 10650 Falls Rd, Timonium, MD 21093. This lot is about 10 mins from the site
Happy Hour: Immediately following the site walk at The Valley Inn - 10501 Falls Rd, Timonium, MD 21093
Time: Field Trip Starts Promptly at 4:30 pm
Cost: Free for Members, $15 for Non-Members
About the Project: The Eccleston mitigation site includes elements of in‐channel stream restoration as well as landscape restoration. A former dairy operation, the site had extensive alterations and ecological damage from draining, ditching, deforestation, and loss of the green ash tree canopy due to the invasive emerald ash borer. As a result, the native brown trout fishery had been losing its population. This was observed in an analysis of approximately 40 years of data collected from the Maryland DNR and pre- and post- construction monitoring by JMT.
The project addressed fishery impairments by adding in channel habitat, re‐ aligning the stream to properly meander across the width of the floodplain and, a dam removal which caused a blockage for young fish since its installation in 1915. Drain tiles and pipe diversions were removed to ensure that more flow enters and stays within the Jones Falls. The site was also planted in a wide native tree buffer, retiring agricultural lands into wetland and stream forested buffer. All these improvements should yield a long‐term stable channel and cooler in‐channel temperatures – an essential aspect for trout preservation in the face of climate change.
The project used almost entirely natural materials, many of which are sourced from the site itself. Stone, tree limbs, wood chips, and other materials are used from the site to create habitat for a multitude of species. The existing site soils which were excavated were returned to the fields from which they were eroded. The entire site was stabilized through seeding and plantings which provided improved aesthetics, habitat, and year‐round utilization by pollinator species.
The total restored area of 56 acres, which is protected by a perpetual conservation easement governed by the North American Land Trust, included 15 acres of wetland restoration, enhancement, and preservation along with over 10,000 LF of stream restoration. Currently in Year 4 of post construction monitoring. The project began construction in September of 2021 and was completed in October of 2022.
