Hillmeade Stream Restoration

RES is providing stream restoration credits to Prince George’s County Maryland Clean Water Partnership (CWP) program. The CWP is a Public-Private Partnership formed to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water regulatory requirements. The projects delivered through this contract will be enrolled as part of Prince George’s County Bay TMDL Action Plan, with the associated nutrient reductions credited toward compliance with the Bay TMDL. To date, RES has designed four projects totaling 26,838 LF of restored channel and has completed construction on one. These four projects generate approximately 568 Impervious Acre Credits for Prince George’s County.  

The first project designed and constructed under this contract was the Hillmeade Stream Restoration Project. This project restored 2,862 LF of degraded channel along Horsepen Branch and unnamed tributaries. Horsepen Branch is located in a wooded parcel surrounded by a golf course and single-family residential areas and is traversed by multiple utilities. At the terminus of the project area, Horsepen Branch drains approximately 473 acres of suburban development.  

To execute this project RES performed existing site assessments and geomorphic surveys. Using this data along with Natural Channel Design philosophies and published reference data RES designed a bankfull channel that provided stable banks and frequent floodplain connectivity. Additionally, RES ensured that there were no offsite floodplain rises and performed all necessary hydrologic and hydraulic modeling. RES acquired all state, federal and local permits necessary to execute the proposed work.  

Upon completion of the design and permitting phases of the project, RES’ construction staff used a team of subcontractors and in-house construction crews to execute the project. Construction began in June 2020 and was substantially complete by August 2020. During construction, RES’ design staff remained an integral part of the team making frequent site visits, attending multiple site meetings, and ensuring the proper execution of the design. RES expects that the restoration work completed will deliver at least 211 lbs per year of Total Phosphorus (TP) reduction.  

Post-construction