Batchellors Run East Stream Restoration
Parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed contain a high percentage of impervious cover – paved or other hard surfaces such as roofs and roadways that prevent rain water from being absorbed into the ground. Instead, water runs along these surfaces, collecting trash and substances such as motor oil, lawn fertilizers, and pesticides. This polluted stormwater flows into streams and rivers, where it threatens aquatic ecosystems and public health.
Effective stormwater management, on the other hand, creates safe paths for polluted runoff to be captured and filtered through the ground before it reaches waterways. This helps keep the environment clean and our communities healthy!
Project location: Silver Spring, MD
Problem: The eastern portion of Batchellors Run, a tributary of the Anacostia River, was showing signs of significant degradation, with its streambanks destabilized and eroding.
Solution: Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection restored Batchellors Run East as part of its larger effort to reduce stormwater pollution in the Anacostia River watershed. The restoration project included stabilizing and rebuilding the stream bank and the surrounding riparian area, as well as constructing wetlands to improve water quality and provide habitat for amphibians and other species. Additionally, new overhead tree cover along the stream improves pool and riffle habitat for fish.
Scale: 633 linear feet
Funding sources: Montgomery County stormwater fees
Partners: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission; Montgomery County; US Army Corps of Engineers
