Leveraging Resources to Achieve MS4 Restoration Compliance in the Town of Smithsburg
Nora Howard, EIT
Brittany Ayers, PE
RK&K
Baltimore, MD
Authors: Nora Howard, EIT and Brittany Ayers, PE
Meeting Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay TMDL restoration requirements, as outlined in NPDES MS4 permits issued by Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) presents unique challenges for individual cities and towns holding Phase II General MS4 permits. Small cities and towns in Maryland are often plagued by finite open space and limited city or town-owned property on which to implement restoration projects. In many cases, the lack of available public land makes it difficult to implement large-scale stormwater management projects and implementing numerous small-scale green infrastructure projects can become logistically and financially prohibitive.
The Town of Smithsburg, MD, encompassing 744 acres with a population of 3,000, has a restoration target of 23.9 impervious acres. The town has limited town-owned land and open space on which to implement restoration projects. In addition, the town is constrained by a mountainous landscape, which creates difficulties in grading and sizing stormwater practices due to steep slopes and large drainage areas. In this setting, stream restoration emerged as an optimal solution for meeting MS4 requirements.
RK&K collaborated with the Town of Smithsburg to conduct a comprehensive watershed assessment across both Town-owned and private lands to identify suitable project locations and best management practices for meeting the 23.9-acre restoration goal. Using a ranking matrix that considered credit potential, cost, and implementation feasibility, our team worked with the Town to develop a prioritized restoration schedule. A stream restoration project on one of the Town’s two streams emerged as the most feasible solution, addressing time, cost, and financial constraints. By focusing on a single project, the Town can achieve its entire restoration target, streamlining efforts by reducing the need for multiple designs, permits, outreach initiatives, and bidding processes. Stream restoration not only maximizes MS4 credit but also delivers significant community co-benefits, including riparian buffer enhancement, improved water quality, increased flood resilience, and enhanced biodiversity.
This presentation will explore how stream restoration can be an advantageous practice for small towns like Smithsburg to meet MS4 requirements while navigating spatial and financial constraints. It will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of various restoration options considered in the watershed assessment, which ultimately led to the selection of the stream restoration project. It will also highlight the potential for stream restoration to provide long-term environmental, social, and economic benefits, making it an effective and sustainable solution for MS4 jurisdictions facing similar challenges.
About Nora Howard, EIT
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About Brittany Ayers, PE
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