Six years in the making, this project rehabilitated a large impervious area at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (NRMA) in Cecil County, Maryland. The site included a large barn complex that had deteriorated over the years and was destroyed by a significant fire. The remaining asphalt and compacted gravel generated large volumes of runoff that flowed untreated directly into Big Elk Creek during storms. With funding from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the Center for Watershed Protection (the Center) designed a complete redevelopment of the site. This project complements a recent stream stabilization along parts of Big Elk Creek undertaken by Maryland Department of Natural Resources by addressing upstream sources of stream erosion.
The Center secured grant funding, developed construction-ready designs, and acquired permits for several stormwater retrofit projects in the vicinity of the Nature and Environmental Center at the Fair Hill NRMA. The Center also handled solicitation and review of construction bids, provided construction inspection services, and developed as-built drawings. Stormwater Maintenance and Consulting constructed the projects.
Completion of this project has transformed the area into a much more useful space for the Nature and Environmental Center by converting existing impervious areas to ADA-accessible and bus-friendly visitor parking and hay storage facilities, and by relocating parking away from the Big Elk Creek floodplain. It also improved stormwater management and water quality by eliminating over 2.6 acres of impervious cover and incorporating several stormwater best management practices (BMPs), including permeable pavement, two bioretention areas, impervious surface disconnection, and two step pool storm conveyance systems.
With the significant decrease in impervious cover, along with treatment by the BMPs, the amount of polluted runoff entering Big Elk Creek from the site is substantially reduced. The step pool projects also eliminated erosion issues in gullies adjacent to the creek. This project supports Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ efforts to provide water quality benefits to local waterways in State parks.
To learn more about this project, contact Greg Hoffmann at gph@cwp.org.
