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Introduction
The Boonsboro School site is a one acre wetland creation located in the Upper Potomac River - Antietam Creek (02-14-05-02) watershed of Washington County.
Construction
In Spring 2000, the Maryland Department of the Environment, in conjunction with the Washington County Soil Conservation District and the school, converted a Dry Stormwater Management Pond into an emergent wetland basin surrounded by scrub-shrub fringe.
Pre-construction conditions
During Construction
During construction
Planting
Status
In 2007, MDE conducted intensive site monitoring which included installing IRIS tubes, evaluating the soil, monitoring hydrology multiple times during the spring growing season, monitoring transects, and scoring the site. The installed IRIS tubes and the hydrological observations found sufficient hydrology to satisfy the wetland hydrology requirement. During the multiple spring growing season visits, the soils were either saturated or inundated 1-2”. Soils were not yet hydric, but it is expected that given the current hydrology, they will become hydric soon. Vegetation is dominated by cattail, with smaller amounts of more desirable herbaceous and shrub (e.g. willow and alder) wetland species. The conclusions from the observational transects also found that the site was a wetland. Using the newly developed Mitigation Site Scoring Method, even with the high amounts of cattail, MDE gave this site the high score of 97/100. This site provides many valuable wetland functions, including filtering sediment/pollutants, recharging groundwater, and providing habitat.
Boonsboro wetland mitigation in 2006
Pickeral Weed
New York Iron Weed
It also provides educational opportunities through the school curriculum.
Since this site is located on school property, access is restricted. Click on this link to view an aerial photo and location information.
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