Harford County Celebrates Completion of Fallston Middle/High School Stream Restoration Project

Harford County has completed a major stream restoration and stormwater management project at Fallston Middle and High Schools, restoring more than 5,000 feet of stream on the campus. The project returned Elbow Brook to its natural flow, helping to improve water quality, and stabilized the stream banks to protect the surrounding environment. Following completion of the in-stream construction, crews installed 2,500 live tree stakes along the stream banks and planted more than 1,400 trees and shrubs to establish and enhance the vital riparian buffer along the stream. The area will also serve as a “living classroom,” giving students hands-on learning opportunities in stream ecology and conservation.

“By restoring this stream and creating a living classroom, we’re providing opportunities for students to learn about conservation right in their own backyard,” County Executive Bob Cassilly said. “I would like to thank our DPW Watershed Protection and Restoration team and Construction Inspection division, Harford County Public Schools, and the staff at Fallston Middle and High for working together on this project, which will help the County meet our federal and state requirements for improving our waterways.”

In addition to restoring the stream, the project includes two stormwater management facilities designed to manage runoff from the schools’ parking lots. These upgrades will help reduce sediment and nutrient flow into Elbow Brook, protecting the Chesapeake Bay and enhancing local aquatic habitats.

Funding support for this project was provided by Maryland DNR Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.