3rd Place

The Ray’s Meadow wetland creation and riparian buffer planting project consisted of removing 250’ of pipe and daylighting a drainage channel into a system of floodplain wetland planted with over 4,000 native herbaceous plugs and planting one acre with 200 native trees. This project will provide over an acre of restored floodplain directly adjacent to Rock Creek in a heavily developed area. In addition, the project is located along the Rock Creek trail providing excellent public access.

The City of Havre de Grace created an Open-End Contract for Design & Build Ecological Regenerative and Restoration Projects in 2020 to improve program delivery for its Phase II MS4 permit. Since the program’s inception, four projects have been completed (additional projects are in progress), over $4 million in grants have been awarded, and hundreds of pounds of nutrients have been kept out of the Susquehanna River. Additionally, this program enabled the City to meet its Phase II MS4 Permit goals well in advance of its deadline.

Through the RiverSmart Homes Program, a single mother at 700 Geranium Street NW wanted to reclaim her backyard while managing more than 4,000 square feet of runoff from her neighbors’ properties. Together, we removed 1,000 square feet of impervious surface, installed a 100 square-foot rain garden, and planted two trees on the property. This transformed a paved yard with an open culvert into a functional space for the residents and now provides ample opportunity for stormwater to absorb in the yard before running into the MS4.

Nature Forward, SMC and the Center for Watershed Protection worked together to design and construct a step pool system to stabilize a deeply incised stream bed at Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD. The thoughtful design minimized tree loss and overall site disturbance, interrupted downstream pollution, restored base flow by connecting to the existing floodplain and enhanced in-stream and riparian wildlife habitat. The project improved public access and educational infrastructure for people of all abilities with a stormwater-permeable, wheelchair-accessible nature trail, a complex of accessible boardwalks around an in-line pond, and weirs that double as stream crossings.

The Montgomery Parks Volunteer Services Office (VSO) first hosted the Clean Waterways Art Contest in 2021 to connect with local artists and educate the public about stormwater pollution through painting storm drain murals in Montgomery County. Among the entries was a painting by a local environmental artist Pamela Gordimer featuring Ruby the Recycling Octopus, an iconic character created to raise awareness about the effects of litter as a result of stormwater runoff. The painting, titled “Ruby’s Quest”, was painted alongside volunteers and was just the start of a successful partnership between a local artist and Montgomery County Parks (Montgomery Parks). Together, Montgomery Parks and Pamela Gordimer have reached over 100 volunteers over the past two years throughout Montgomery County.

An asphalt traffic intersection in Colmar Manor, MD, (38.935080, -76.948532) was replaced with PaveDrain heavy-duty permeable pavement, along with an in-situ water level sensor for performance monitoring. In the two years since it was installed the system is functioning as a roadway and stormwater BMP without maintenance, representing a commitment to environmental justice in this economically disadvantaged neighborhood. Furthermore, the use of sensors has documented stormwater performance well in excess of expected, suitable for crediting towards local stormwater compliance.

The Willow Pond Retrofit and Stream Restoration project included the retrofit of the existing wet pond stormwater management facility to an innovative gravel lens system that would filter water through gravel and underdrains, reducing the water temperature discharged from the facility. The project included 1,700 linear feet of stream restoration along with restoration of the natural floodplain. The design utilized a structure engineered to intercept the floodway, diverting flood flows into the stormwater pond, while still maintaining the base stream flow within the channel.