The Berrywood Community Association (BCA) is a homeowners association located in Severna Park. The BCA’s property is transected by a section of Cattail Creek, a principal tributary of the Magothy River. BCA is partnering with the Watershed Stewards Academy, the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Maryland DNR to implement a stream restoration and living shoreline project as well as stormwater BMP’s to address erosion issues and to improve the water quality of Cattail Creek.
The Berrywood project consists of:
A regenerative stormwater conveyance system. This system raises the stream bed and uses weirs to slow and widen the stream flow, increase floodplain connectivity, and reduce erosion.
Replacement of the bulkhead along the marina and replacement with a living shoreline.
Installation of additional rain gardens to capture and treat runoff from the access road, parking lot and basketball court.
Cattail Creek is a spawning ground for Yellow Perch. All in-stream construction will be completed before spawning season begins (February 15).
As of November 2018, the Berrywood stream restoration and living shoreline is well underway. All but two weirs have been built in the stream portion of the project and the living shoreline is being finished this week. There is still much more work and several other bioretention components to this project that need to be built. The below photos are of a recent Community Construction Progress Meeting after a 1.5" storm. The pump which handles base flow is at the top of the project. We can see how the newly restored stream reconnects the stream to the surrounding flood plain. It is functioning splendidly!
Berrywood Welcomes Steuart Pittman
On Wednesday, November 21st, County Executive Elect Steuart Pittman visited the Berrywood community to see the Cattail Creek stream restoration and living shoreline project. This project is possible through the support of the county, the Department of National Resources, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy, and the work of members of the Berrywood Community and its Association.
Community members emphasized the importance of this project on improving water quality in the Magothy. They pointed to plans for future development upstream that could negatively impact this watershed and encouraged the County Executive Elect to keep water quality as an important goal in pursuing development.
