Stream Restoration on East Wenner Branch

 

Check out the project StoryMap for details and project updates!

 

Project Summary (This information was sent to all Property Owners adjacent to the stream corridor).

Work will occur incrementally along the East Wenner Branch stream channel and includes tree/vegetation removal, erosion controls, bank grading, and rock placement. The site will be replanted with native trees once work is complete and the season permits (likely in the spring of 2026). The outcome of the project is a fully stabilized stream channel that resists erosion and regulates stream flow. The ultimate goal is to reduce sediment and pollutant delivery, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to the Potomac River.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Public Works at 301-834-7500 and ask for John Gerstner or Abby Hall.

 

Project Background and MS4 Credit

The Stream Restoration Project at Site S-1 along East Wenner Branch restores approximately 2,770 LF of degraded stream corridor. Introduced in the City’s 2019 Watershed Implementation Plan, it is the largest stream restoration project identified in the City’s Restoration Activity Schedule as reported annually to MDE and EPA. Once complete, the project is expected to provide over 50 AC of Equivalent Impervious Area (EIA) credit toward our MS4 restoration target.

The engineering phase of Strean Restoration for Site S-1 was fully grant-funded by the Maryland FFY22 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Support for Most Effective Basins through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The City of Brunswick was selected as a sub-recipient under the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) award.

 

Project Overview

The existing stream corridor is highly eroded in areas and characterized by vertical, unstable banks with areas incision down to bedrock. Design techniques to restore the corridor follow Maryland’s Waterway Construction Guidance (MWCG, MDE 2000). The proposed design incorporates rock sills, pools, and riffle grade control structures to slow stream flows, introduce opportunities for riparian habitat, and ultimately reduce the delivery of sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen loads to the Potomac River. A restored stream corridor will be primed to withstand future flows and prevent additional bank loss.

Stream restoration activity will occur fully within the “Manchester Village Green Area,” a city-owned property. All adjacent property owners will be notified prior to the start of construction. The City will work with private property owners to address any existing encroachments on public property.

 

Tree Mitigation Plan

Tree removal is required in the channel area where in-stream work will occur; however, native tree planting is proposed along the stream fringe to establish a stream buffer. A total of 188 trees are identified for removal, including 11 specimen trees. To offset tree removal, 191 trees are proposed for planting to establish a buffer. The City expressed early on that tree preservation is of critical importance and trees selected for removal must be minimized and as deliberate as possible. Specimen trees identified for removal exist in the main channel of the project and would not likely survive considering impact to the critical root zone. In addition to proposed trees shown  in the planting and preservation plan, the stream corridor is an ideal target for future tree planting opportunities.

 

Reviews and Approvals

The project has been reviewed and authorized to proceed by USACE (includes USFWS review), MDE, Frederick County Forestry, Frederick County Stormwater Management, and Catoctin Soil Conservation District (SCD).

 

Project Funding

A construction funding MOU is currently in process with MDE for $1.6M under the same grant IIJA funding stream, FFY2025.