By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(April 9, 2026) The Town of Berlin, in partnership with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, will hold a public meeting later this month to present plans for a stream restoration project along Hudson Branch and gather community input.

The meeting is scheduled for April 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Berlin Library, with a virtual attendance option available on the Town of Berlin’s Facebook page. Officials say all members of the public are imvited to attend, ask questions and offer their opinions.

“The goal of this stream restoration project is to reduce the flood risk in the Flower and Bay Street neighborhoods and improve the health of water flowing from Berlin into the Newport Bay watershed,” said Jessica McIntosh in a press release, MCBP’s Newport Bay partnership coordinator.

Plans for the project include reshaping the stream channel and floodplain to better manage stormwater.

Elevating and widening sections of the stream will help to slow and absorb runoff, which can reduce flooding and filter out pollution and sediment before it reaches downstream waterways.

The effort is part of a broader project to address both flooding in the Town of Berlin and environmental concerns in the Newport Bay watershed. According to McIntosh, Newport Bay is the least healthy of Maryland’s five coastal bays, receiving a C minus in the Maryland Coastal Bays’ 2023 report card due to poor levels of seagrass and hard clams.

Additional restoration work will include planting native vegetation and trees along Hudson Branch to stabilize its stream banks and provide shade for aquatic life. Crews also plan to create deeper pools within the stream to improve habitat for fish and other species.

The Hudson Branch project is one of several restoration efforts planned throughout the watershed to improve water quality, restore habitats and strengthen long-term environmental resilience.

$10 million in funding over five years for these projects has been provided by the State of Maryland through the Whole Watershed Act, the press release reads. The money also supports a coalition of partners led by the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, including the Lower Shore Land Trust, Assateague Coastal Trust, the Town of Berlin and Worcester County.

The April 29 meeting will include presentations on the newly formed Newport Bay Partnership, details of the Hudson Branch project design and next steps. Following the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to share comments and ask questions.