Sediment dredged from shipping channels leading to the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is helping restore the underutilized Ridgley’s Cove park property in Baltimore City into a multi-use recreation area with walking trails.
Restoration of Ridgley’s Cove, located behind Horseshoe Casino and adjacent to the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River, makes use of sediment from the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration’s (MDOT MPA) Cox Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility. The project is the largest example of innovative reuse of dredged sediment from Baltimore Harbor channels.
MDOT MPA is working on the project with the Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Environmental Service, Baltimore City, Baltimore Development Corporation and the company, TopGolf, in a unique partnership of local and state government, a nonprofit and private industry. CBY, a Dundalk-based hauling company, is handling the dredged material transport from Cox Creek to Ridgley’s Cove, with 150 to 180 trucks a day transporting sediment to the site.
Approximately 22,000 cubic yards of blended sediment from the Cox Creek facility will be used as capping material in the upland restoration of Ridgley’s Cove. Historical research of the site indicates environmental impacts stemming from land use activities dating back to the late 1800s.
Restoration of the upland and nearshore environment is part of a mitigation package associated with the future TopGolf facility. Plans involve remediation of existing environmental impacts and reestablishing the site as a recreational asset.
Ridgely’s Cove is the latest example of MDOT MPA using dredged sediment in innovative ways. In the past year, more than 32,000 cubic yards of sediment have been dewatered and transported for offsite restoration projects.
Ridgley’s Cove Park is one of several open spaces that are part of the Gywnns Falls Trail network. Ridgley’s Cove is located on the Middle Branch, Patapsco River, nearby the outflow of Gywnns Falls. The Middle Branch trail at Ridgley’s Cove begins at Annapolis Road and follows the waterfront through the park before exiting onto Warner Street. Public parking is available off Warner Street.
source: Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration
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