Introduction

Certain stream locations within the City are degrading, contributing to poor water quality and negative impacts to habitat for fish and other important species. Poor water quality can also pose a risk to residents’ dogs that may drink and play in the streams, as well as children that may wade in the streams. The City of Gaithersburg is committed to protecting the quality of these resources and as such the Department of Public Works plans to continue design of a stream restoration project that was put on hold in 2021, located northeast of the intersection of Rabbitt Road and Rudis Way. Unlike the approach that was taken in some of the past stream restoration projects, this project will minimize impacts to forests and mature trees as well as impacts to the streambed where macroinvertebrates live.

The limits of the Project Area are approximately 1,550 feet of Long Draught Branch between a section of stream restored by the Maryland State Highway Administration in 2018 and the culvert under Rabbitt Road. The Project Area is located entirely within City and State property and is adjacent to the City of Gaithersburg Public Works Facility to the east and residential areas to the west. The stream flows through a primarily wooded area on the City property with a gap in vegetation towards the downstream extent to Rabbitt Road.

In the area lacking vegetation, the streambanks are incised, creating vertical drops rather than gentle vegetated slopes. One of the goals of the project is to plant along the streambanks where there is currently no vegetation; this will help slow stormwater runoff that comes rushing into the stream, eroding its banks. A significant portion of the project includes expanding the stream’s vegetative buffer well beyond the project limits of the stream restoration work. This will be a new forested area.

Background

This site was originally studied and selected for restoration in 2017. When a proposed design was presented to the community, the community expressed concerns about the potential loss of mature trees and impacts to the forested area during construction. The project was put on hold in 2021 to address concerns of the community and reassess the restoration approach. In 2024, the new Environmental Services Division team reexamined the project scope and decided to take an approach that minimized loss of mature trees and forest by carefully selecting areas along the stream that needed restoration the most and working around existing trees.

Status

A community meeting took place in January 2026 to present the 60% design. A second meeting to present the 90% design plan will be announced in the coming months. Staff will answer any community questions, and provide an opportunity for input on how to improve the project.