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Evaluating Stream Restoration Effectiveness: Water Quality and Biology at UT Sassafras

Allyson Bartell
Scott Stranko
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Annapolis, Maryland

Authors: Allyson Bartell, Kyle Hodgson, Brittney Flaten

A stream restoration project using a combination of Natural Channel Design and Stage Zero restoration techniques was applied to an Unnamed Tributary to the Sassafras River in Cecil County, Maryland in 2019. The project was funded by the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, implemented by EcoTone Inc, and monitoring conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Pre-restoration water quality and biology monitoring began in 2017 and two years of post-restoration monitoring have been completed as of November 2021. Monitoring is ongoing. Initial results show that DO is significantly lower in the post-restoration period compared to the pre-restoration period. Temperature increased in the first year of monitoring and decreased in the second year compared to the control. Fish IBI scores initially decreased one year after restoration, then rebounded by the second year of post-restoration monitoring. Benthic IBI scores did not significantly differ between pre and post-restoration periods. All sediment and nutrient flow-weighted mean concentrations decreased in the post-restoration period compared to the pre-restoration period, with the exception of suspended sediment concentration. Continued monitoring is needed to determine whether any reductions are a result of restoration practices or other environmental variables.