Ground Broken on Maiden Choice Run Project

The Chesapeake Bay is about to get a little healthier thanks to the city of Baltimore and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Maiden Choice Run project. Ground was broken on Dec. 2 for this $1.4-million urban stream restoration, which was designed by Baltimore-based Biohabitats Inc., an ecological restoration, conservation planning and regenerative design firms. Maidens Choice Run is a tributary to Gwynns Falls, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

"Maidens Choice Run has been heavily influenced by urban conditions including storm water runoff, loss of riparian vegetation and floodplain constrictions," said Biohabitats President Keith Bowers. "To address these challenges, we used an approach called 'natural channel design,' which applies the sciences of stream ecology and fluvial geomorphology to restore the stream's natural meander pattern and structure. We also incorporated wetlands and reforestation into the design."

Biohabitats' approach, which the firm has applied to more than 200 stream restoration projects throughout North America, often leads to benefits such as restored habitat, channel stability, improved water quality and improved aesthetics. It can also result in significant cost savings over structural solutions.

"We've been honored to work with the Corps and the city on this project," said Bowers. "It is our hope that Maidens Choice Run will not only be a stable, functioning ecosystem, but also a treasured natural amenity for the surrounding community."

Source: PRWeb