Easygrants ID: 18718 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NFWF/Legacy Grant Project ID: 2009-0054-009 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants 2009 - Submit Final Programmatic Report (Activities)
Grantee Organization: Alliance for Community Education Project Title: Manhattan Beach Stormwater Restoration (MD)
Project Period 11/15/2009 - 05/31/2011
Award Amount $47,944.01
Matching Contributions $29,062.00
Project Location Description (from Proposal) Manhattan Beach is a residential community on the Magothy River, off Route 2 in Severna Park, Anne Arundel County, Maryland in
Congressional District 1. Latitude and Longitude: 390406N, 0763116W
Project Summary (from Proposal) Work with residents of Manhattan Beach, Maryland to replace three acres of impervious road surface with a regenerative stormwater system. Project will conduct community outreach and education, engage volunteers, plant a magnolia bog, monitor water quality, and reduce the amount of runoff pollution entering the Magothy River.
Summary of Accomplishments : With assistance from Anne Arundel County Public Works Department, 23’ of road end and an asphalt channel which directed stormwater runoff into the Magothy River, was dug up and in its place a restoration project designed by Keith Underwood was installed, creating 6 step pools and a living shoreline extending into the River for 35’. The project was installed in its entirety (40’x169’) September, 2010 with 27 citizens assisting for over 100 manhours to plant natives such as Magnolia Virginiana, Bayberry, Inkberry, Virginia Sweetspire, Cranberry, Blueberry, Blue flag iris, Pine, Spartina Patens and Alterniflora. Water testing before the project will be compared with tests taken if a rainfall is sufficient to flow from the pools into the River. So far rains of 2" or less have been contained in the facility.
Lessons Learned It has been very useful to have a video of the complete step by step restoration process. Showing it and appending it to many websites has inspired others to attempt similar restorations of piped stormwater into waterways. We were surprised and pleased to find that 90% of rain events, (2" or less) are completely contained by the step-pools, indicating that all the nitrogen, phorphorus and sediment shown in the prior water samples, as well as other harmful substances deposited by cars on the roadway, will be eliminated.
Conservation Activities 100%
Progress Measures % of stormwater runoff reduced from site Value at Grant Completion $49,000
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Final Programmatic Report
Project Name and Number: Manhattan Beach Stormwater Restoration (MD) Project Number»2009-0054-009 / 18718
Recipient Organization/Agency: Alliance for Community Education Recipient Organization Web Address: Beinginplace.org
Date Submitted: March 1, 2011
1) Summary of Accomplishments: With assistance from Anne Arundel County Public Works
Department, 23‟ of road end and an asphalt channel which directed stormwater runoff into the Magothy River, was dug up and in its place a restoration project designed by Keith Underwood was installed, creating 6 step pools and a living shoreline extending into the River for 35‟. The project was installed in its entirety (40‟x169‟) September, 2010 with 27 citizens assisting for over 100 manhours to plant natives such as Magnolia Virginiana, Bayberry, Inkberry, Virginia Sweetspire, Cranberry, Blueberry, Blue flag iris, Pine, Spartina Patens and Alterniflora. Water testing before the project will be compared with tests taken this year when the project has completely stabilized, paid for by the community association.
2) Project Activities & Results
If your grant agreement included an approved logic framework, paste the logic framework table here.
Activities
Describe and quantify the primary activities conducted during this grant (refer back to your approved logic framework, if applicable).
Briefly explain discrepancies between the activities conducted during the grant and the activities agreed upon in your grant agreement.
Results
Describe and quantify progress towards achieving the project objectives or outcomes described in your grant agreement. (Quantify using indicators from your approved logic framework, if applicable, or by using new indicators not included in the application.) Briefly explain discrepancies between what actually happened compared to what was predicted to happen. Provide any further information (such as unexpected outcomes) important for understanding project activities and results.
With regard to the ambitious estimates we made for the neighborhood as a whole, our expectations were disappointed. Though people realize they are contributing to a significant problem for the creeks and rivers and the Bay, it is very difficult to engage them in making changes to their properties. We have discovered a similar problem in our work in Crofton. This, despite effective educational materials delivered to them in person. So, only 4 raingardens have been installed and 12 rainbarrels.
With regard to our restoration project, which was the subject of the grant request, we succeeded beyond our expectations. 27 residents participated in planting the project on two consecutive weekends (100 manhours). The enthusiasm of residents was evident during the entire
construction process and has continued to date. The site is being used for picnics, launching kayaks and observing the scenic beauty of the site. Water testing to date indicates that the total sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus estimated in the above chart may be captured by the Restoration Project. So far no stormwater has spilled from the site in any rainstorm following completion of the restoration.
Manhattan Beach Stormwater Results for 2010 prior to restoration
Stormwater samples were collected by Karl and Pat Neidhardt on the dates shown below. Samples were delivered to Sally Hornor and were processed at the Environmental Center at AACC. Samples for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus were frozen and shipped to the Nutrient Analysis Lab at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Solomons, MD.
Date Rain within
24 hours TSS (mg/l) TN (mg/l) TP (mg/l) Enterococci (CFU/100 ml) 1/25/10 0.67” 22 0.62 0.078 390 3/26/10 0.26” 16 1.02 0.0976 57,600 3/30/10 1.31” 3 0.54 0.0618 4,900 5/18/10 0.45” 19 1.12 0.1732 17,850 Median 0.56” 17.5 0.82 0.0878 11,375
Interestingly, the greatest rainfall (3/30/10) brought us the lowest amounts of nutrients and sediments and the lower amounts of rainfall brought us some of the highest results. I would argue that high rainfall brings about a dilution effect for pollutants in rainfall. Although bacterial counts are not the lowest for this event, they are lower than one would predict if greater rainfall brought increasingly greater counts. In stormwater discussions, the concept of “first flush” is often mentioned. This is the idea that the first 0.5” of rainfall brings the highest pollutant loads. It seems that we are seeing this effect in these four data sets. Considering the first flush and the dilution effect, I have reported the median results for these data, as they remove the highest and lowest rainfall events.
The median results for all parameters except enterococci are similar to the median values for these parameters as measured in three upper tidal stations of Mill and Dividing Creeks in 2006. Enterococci values are significantly higher for the stormwater samples than they were for the creek samples. This may be due to more die-off of bacteria in the creek samples as compared to stormwater samples, where presumably fecal sources are more recent.
We have not been able to collect any post-construction samples as the stormwater conveyance designed and installed by Keith Underwood is so effective that stormwater does not run off the site. Community residents will continue to keep an eye on this system and will collect samples if they can. If no samples can be collected, then we can conclude that all of the sediments,
nutrients and bacteria brought into Dividing Creek before construction are now 100% corrected. Sally Hornor, Ph.D.
3) Lessons Learned
Describe the key lessons learned from this project, such as the least and most effective conservation practices or notable aspects of the project‟s methods, monitoring, or results. How could other conservation organizations adapt their projects to build upon some of these key lessons about what worked best and what did not?
Engaging in this „Coastal Plain Outfall System as a means of capturing stormwater runoff so it can be cleaned and infiltrated has proven more effective than our expectations. No runoff of rains 2” or less has reached the River since its installation. Neighbors and other visitors are astounded by its beauty and make use of the area gratefully. We suggest using the „how-to‟ video (on my website www.beinginplace.com - on UTube and other websites (see below) that was made during construction of the restoration, as a means of replicating the success we were able to achieve.
4) Dissemination
Briefly identify any dissemination of lessons learned or other project results to external audiences, such as the public or other conservation organizations.
We fought hard for funds to produce a „how-to‟ video detailing the drainage area, exact construction and materials used and finally did so with the matching community funds. Our perseverance has been proven to be accurate in that the need for a „how-to‟ video of Keith Underwood‟s work is constantly brought home to us. See comments from viewers below: “Anne - this is a terrific video, and I encourage all copied to take a few
minutes to view it. I also ask Kurt to add it to the SRA web site.
Thanks for creating this and sharing it with us, especially as we continue to encourage communities on the Severn to do this, and offer them incentive monies to help prepare grant applications through our Stormwater Action Fund (prospectus attached).” Bob Whitcomb, President SRA.
“I agree. I have already shared it with my community's leadership team (with the hope it will inspire them to take action). Howard Ernst, Professor and Author
“Bravo, Anne! Your video is an excellent educational tool and inspirational as well.” Betsy Love, VP Severn River Association (SRA)
“Excellent job with the video. Very professional and informative. Looking forward to seeing it in person.” Kevin Smith, DNR
“Anne, Beautiful. Wonderful. I want to go see it. I love what you do.” Michael Furbish, Furbish Company
“Very nice. I'll get it right up.” Erik Michelsen, Exec Dir South River Federation “This Video is fantastic!!!!!!!It is truely something to share with all.” Lisa Bender “Excellent!” Lisa May, Idlewild Farm
“Great to hear from you and even hear your good voice on this little film.
I placed the film on my Facebook page and gave it to our NeighborSpace Director (I am VP there) to place it possibly on the Baltimore NeighborSpace website. I will also share with 1000 Friends. Thanks for sending. All the best to you and thanks for sharing your good work with me!” Klaus Philipsen, Thousand Friends of MD and Architect
“The video looks great. It shows all the steps involved in a stormwater retrofit, which I hadn't seen before.” Gary Antonides, Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association (CEPA) “I love it! I forwarded it to the Stewards... Yes, we will post on our website!” Suzanne Etgen, Coordinator Watershed Stewards Academy.
“The video is wonderful! Thanks for sharing it. I will circulate it as I can” Debra Fieldhouse, Grounds Manager, Wild Rose Shores, Annapolis.
“Anne - thank you for sharing. The video was interesting and very well done!” Julie Hester, Keith Campbell Foundation
“Anne - This is outstanding! Well done! I'd certainly like to post it on www.RainScaping.org.” Zora Lathan, Director
“Ms. Pearson: Just a short note to congratulate the Alliance for Sustainable Communities on its excellent stormwater runoff video, which Klaus Philipsen shared with me. I have included a link to it on the NeighborSpace home page. Thank you for the great work that you are doing.”
Barbara L. Hopkins, JD, ASLA Executive Director,NeighborSpace of Baltimore County, Inc.
“Very well done. Thanks.” Bob Gallagher, Chris Trumbauer,” posted on our website” West/Rhode RiverKeeper
“I'll take a look at the video. I'm sure it will be impressive, as your community work always is.” Ginger Ellis, A.A. County
“Anne, Wonderful video .. I've been trying to describe Keith's work to folks and have failed miserably. This does a grand job, and will appeal to the native gardeners just as much as to the stormwater advocates! Well done!
Rupert Rossetti Parade Rest Port Deposit, MD 21904 410-378-3473
and have failed miserably. This does a grand job, and will appeal to the native gardeners just as much as to the stormwater advocates! Well done!
Rupert Rossetti Parade Rest Port Deposit, MD 21904 410-378-3473
The video was shown to the Legacy Institute for Environment at Stevensville, MD
5) Project Documents See above comments on Video dissemination
a) Attach 2-10 representative photos from the project. Photos need to have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
b) Attach publications, GIS data, brochures, videos, outreach tools, press releases, media coverage, and any project deliverables per the terms of your grant agreement.
Photos below: 1st is before, 2nd is middle pools of restoration, 3rd is from road. Please also see „how to‟ video mailed in CD previously and on my website: beinginplace.com.
The video has been shown to an audience of 60+ at State of the Magothy Meeting Feb 16,2011 and to 80+ students of the Stewardship Academy at Arlington Echo. Tours of the site are available to all. Two prospective restoration sites have been proposed as a result.
