Cabin Branch Stream Restoration
PRE
The highly urbanized headwaters of Cabin Branch (Saltworks Creek) are buried under asphalt, parking lots, and the Annapolis Mall, leading to a broken downstream system.
Cabin Branch was a degraded stream carrying sediments, toxic contaminants, and nutrients from impervious, urbanized areas into Saltworks Creek.
During storms, water poured off paved surfaces into this straight, gouged stream channel, which continued to erode and become even more disconnected from its natural floodplain.
POST
The Regenerative Stream Channel (RSC) approach was used, which integrates ecosystem restoration with stormwater runoff.
Through RSC a system of cobble riffles, berms, seepage wetlands, shallow pools, and native plants restores stream and wetland function, reconnects the stream to the floodplain, and restores historic plant communities.
Cabin Branch now delivers much improved water quality downstream and offers enhanced habitat for fish and amphibians, contributing to a healthier Severn River and Chesapeake Bay.
STATS
1700 linear feet restored
Over 2500 native species planted
Drainage area treated: 144 acres