Location: Bee Tree Preserve in Baltimore County
Partners Involved: Gunpowder Valley Conservancy
Submitted by: Kim Thomas of the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy & Larry Quarrick of the Chesapeake Conservation Landscape Council
In celebration of Riparian Buffer Month, the Chesapeake Conservation Landscape Council (CCLC) is excited to showcase a buffer success story in central Maryland. The Bee Tree Run riparian buffer is located in the Bee Tree Preserve in Baltimore County. It is in the Gunpowder watershed which is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The buffer project was coordinated and implemented by the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy.
Gunpowder Watershed
The Bee Tree Preserve became a reality in 1965 when 260 acres of the Bee Tree Run watershed was acquired by the Towson Presbyterian Church. As time passed, the church realized that the land needed more care than church resources could afford. In 2011, the church entered into an agreement with Baltimore County and the state of Maryland to protect the property from development for perpetuity.
This particular riparian buffer is located in the Bee Tree Preserve off of Bee Tree Road in Parkton, MD. The Bee Tree Preserve is 263 beautiful acres of forests, fields, streams, and wetlands. Bee Tree Run is the trout stream that runs throughout the property. Prior to this project, the riparian area was mainly open with some older dying trees and a grassy floodplain that was widely impacted by invasives.
Before
The stream had been impacted by stormwater and had eroded significantly. The church was committed to protecting the stream; however, they needed help to accomplish this goal. The County did not feel it was necessary to do any construction within the stream but indicated that it would be beneficial to restore the buffer. Since the church council did not have the funds to do so on their own, they turned to Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (GVC) to help them extend the riparian buffer areas.
This project was completed through a series of native tree plantings that established a successful riparian buffer along Bee Tree Run. The buffer project started in 2007 and was mainly finished in 2013. In 2018, additional plantings were planned to extend the riparian buffer further and replace sections of trees that did not survive from the original plantings. These plantings took place from 2018 throughout 2022.
After
The riparian buffer was planted in 15 sections with a total of 1,225 trees and shrubs planted along Bee Tree Run . The species planted in the riparian buffers were Sycamore, River Birch, Swamp White Oak, Willow Oak, Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Pin Oak, Serviceberry, Eastern Red Cedar, Red Maple, and Common Elderberry.
2023 CCLC Buffer Month Field Day
The project restored approximately 10 acres of riparian buffer along Bee Tree Run, providing bank stabilization and additional shade to the trout stream, as well as a reduction in the channel/floodplain footprint. GVC is still performing routine maintenance at the sites where they come and remove invasive plant material from around the trees, remove tree protection materials from the trees when they are mature enough and the occasional replacement of plantings.
As mentioned above, it was the church in partnership with GVC who sponsored the Bee Tree Run riparian buffer via funding through a grant from the Maryland DNR Chesapeake and Coastal Service. Over the years, the GVC’s relationship with the church has blossomed and the partnership is in perfect alignment with their mission to engage, connect and inspire people to preserve and restore the Gunpowder Watershed.
The CCLC in Maryland is very grateful for the work of the GVC and for sharing the Bee Tree Run riparian buffer project. Success stories like this renew CCLC’s commitment to continue its mission of educating and supporting professionals who implement sustainable landscapes and green infrastructure practices for a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay watershed.
This post Is part of the fourth annual CCLC Riparian Buffer Month.
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