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Commissioners back concept restoration for Upper Mill Creek, contingent on outside funding
Summary
Friends of Hunting Creek and the American Chestnut Land Trust won board approval to pursue a low‑tech, engineered‑wood restoration on a 1,750‑foot county‑owned reach of Upper Mill Creek. The board’s ok is contingent on grant funding, permits and formal agreements; no county taxpayer funding was requested for design.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the concept of a restoration project for a badly eroded 1,750‑foot section of Upper Mill Creek, contingent on the Friends of Hunting Creek and the American Chestnut Land Trust securing outside funding, permits and applicable access and maintenance agreements.
Ron Klauder, a founding member of the Friends of Hunting Creek, described monitoring at 13 sites that found channel‑erosion depths up to roughly 7.5 feet and baseflow water depths of 3–6 inches, conditions he said have reduced aquatic habitat and left the stream “basically right now just a trickle in a trench.” Autumn Phillips, executive director of the American Chestnut Land Trust, told commissioners the groups will seek ChesTrust grant funding for design and permitting and asked for permission to work on county property. “We are not asking the county to spend any taxpayer money to restore Upper Mill Creek,” Phillips said, adding that ACLT and Friends will request a county letter of support during grant preparation if the board grants permission.
Commissioners discussed potential effects on adjacent homeowners, state highway drainage contributions and coordination with a planned downstream Department of Public Works project to protect nearby infrastructure. A motion that the board approve the concept restoration — explicitly conditional on outside funding, necessary approvals, property access and maintenance responsibilities — was seconded and passed by voice vote.
Next steps described by presenters include a site visit invitation for commissioners, preparing the ChesTrust grant application in the fall, and forming a steering committee to help guide design if funds are awarded. Staff and the presenters said implementation would proceed only after successful grant awards, required permits and executed agreements to define responsibilities.
