First Mine Branch Stream Restoration Field Trip
When: Thursday, November 15, 2018
Time: 12:00 - 2:00 Clay shoot for anyone interested
2:00 - 4:00 Tour of First Mine I and First Mine II
4:00 - Food, bonfire and music
Where: First Mine Run (3013 White Hall Road White Hall, MD 21161)
Parking: Park in the large open field past the clubhouse on the left.
EVENT DETAILS:
Cost: Free for members, $15 for non-members. Includes food and two drink tickets.
Optional Clay Shoot (noon - 2 p.m.):
Because the property also houses a sporting clay range, Ecotone is offering the chance to shoot the course prior to the First Mine I and II tour. If you would like to shoot the course, you will need a firearm (12 gauge or smaller), 3 boxes of shells, and eye and ear protection. If you do not own a firearm but would like to shoot, please contact Mary Beth O'Bryan (mobryan@ecotoneinc.com) directly and we will try to accommodate you. The cost is $25. It will be a blast.
FIELD TRIP (2 p.m. - 4 p.m.) Arrive by 2 p.m.
About the project:
The First Mine Branch Stream Restoration projects are located on the property of a local gun club in northeastern Baltimore County and in total encompassed approximately 5,690 linear feet of stream restoration and wetland creation. Project funding was provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. The First Mine Branch Stream Restoration projects were completed in two phases over two years; phase one, known as First Mine I, was completed in the summer of 2017 with phase two, known as First Mine II, was completed in summer of 2018.
Both portions of First Mine, classified as a use III streams, had become highly incised, with sections of eroded stream banks reaching six feet in height, eliminating any possibility of the stream connecting with the surrounding floodplain and transporting large amounts of sediment downstream. Potential causes of the degradation to the channel originates from previous stream manipulation, the effects of historic mill dams, and a lack of deep-rooted vegetation to support the stream banks. Our focus for both projects was to correct the incised channels, increase the stream sinuosity, minimize the amount of sediment being transported downstream and provide wildlife with improved habitat.
Ecotone challenges itself by eliminating the need to import materials and therefore increase sustainability. Materials for both projects were already on site, such as removed trees, streambed rock materials and prepped sod, which was planted in an adjacent field to stabilize stream banks.
The design approach consisted of raising the stream invert and excavating a valley wide stream corridor with a low flow channel extending the length of the reach. For phase two, the entire stream corridor was brought to grade by filling the existing channel with soil and woody debris which resulted in a large valley wide wetland complex system, resembling that of a “Stage Zero” design. Microtopography was generated as well as a variety of different grade control structures that enhanced roughness and created habitat diversity throughout the reach. This project has quickly shown that it supports a variety of habitat for an abundance of amphibians, fish, and birds. It is expected to continue to thrive as vegetation is established and the stream can naturally work itself through the corridor.
We invite you to Join Ecotone and MSRA for a tour of First Mine Branch!
Event updates will be forwarded to MSRA members and posted at the following website: www.marylandstreamrestorationassociation.org
We hope to see you there!
