(Annapolis) - In order to bring the fish population back to historic levels for Stony Run in Cecil County, Governor Martin O'Malley has committed nearly $91,000 in Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) funding to construct new fish passages at US 40. The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) will provide more than $98,000 in funding. The total cost of the project is $189,696.
The project consists of building timber baffles within the existing culvert, building a knee wall at the upstream and downstream face, and building a rock structure at the downstream outfall. The combination of these structures will create sufficient flow depth and velocities to allow fish passage through the US 40 crossing.
By allowing migratory fish, primarily herring and shad, to access their spawning areas and thereby thrive through an increase in their available habitat, it is expected that the population numbers of each of these species will grow. Recreational and economic opportunities are expected to multiply with the growth of the fish population as well.
"By constructing these fish passages, Maryland is making a critical investment in our streams," said Governor O'Malley. "By mitigating the impact that our transportation infrastructure has on the surrounding area, we are supporting sustainable growth and protecting the environment for generations to come."
The State contribution to this and similar projects is made possible through the Transportation Enhancement Program, which funds non-traditional, community-based transportation-related projects. The Governor determines which projects qualify for funding based on need and potential benefit to the public. Grants approved so far in 2007 total $11.3 million. The Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration oversees the federal program, which has awarded more than $173 million for 244 projects in Maryland since TEP began in 1991.
CONTACT:
Rick Abbruzzese
Governor's Press Office
410-974-2316
Valerie Burnette Edgar, SHA
410-545-0303
800-323-6742 |
