After :
The restoration of Tributary 9 of Sawmill Creek was an out of kind compensatory mitigation component of Maryland State Highway Administration mitigation obligation for unavoidable impacts to nontidal wetlands for the construction of MD 100, a multi-lane freeway in Anne Arundel County. The project also served as a component of the State of Maryland Targeted Sawmill Creek Targeted Watershed Program. This progra was created to demonstrate the importance and impact of watershed restoration to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Plan and to create coalitions between various State agencies, local governments, environmental advocacy groups, and citizens to develop and implement the restoration within existing sources of revenue. The stream was degraded and channelized during the post WWII urbanization of its watershed. As a final blow to the stream, the county constructed a gabion lined, over-sized channel to convey flood runoff. The stream was in a severly degraded condition with excess fine sediment covering the bed in all area. Banks as high as seven feet were undermined and sloughing. Restoration goals were to stabilize banks, restore stable geometry, improve sediment transport and restore aquatic habitat.
The restoration goal was reached by providing the proper pattern in relationship to hydraulic geometry ensuring adequate sediment transport. The results were stream stability and habitat improvement. The design was based on the Rosgen Classification System and Applied River Morphology. Stream bank revetment was accomplished through the use of root wad revetments and willow stream bank planting.
Post construction monitoring indicates project goals are being met. The stream pattern and cross section is remaining stable, excess sediment is not present, and habitat has been restored. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with Anne Arundel County school students stocked the stream reach in the Summer, 1995 with nine fish species and in a recent informal survey found six of the species present.