Projects

Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative (MBRI)

Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative

Look across the water. Witness progress on the equity framework laid out in the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan to protect and connect the shoreline.   

The Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative (MBRI) is Maryland’s largest coastal resilience initiative, dedicated to restoring 50+ acres of habitat along 11 miles of shoreline. During the development of the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan, communities called for environmental justice including better access to nature and more protection from flooding and storm damage. The Hanover Street Wetlands, approximately 10 acres, is the first MBRI living shoreline section to commence construction, representing one of many steps toward fulfilling Reimagine Middle Branch’s commitment to fostering equity by protecting and connecting South Baltimore’s shoreline and communities. This work is fully funded; community outreach launched in 2023 with construction commencing in 2024 and anticipation completion of the Hanover Street Wetlands in 2025.

Using nature-based resilience solutions, MBRI supports environmental justice goals by:

  • Enhancing South Baltimore communities’ resilience and protecting critical infrastructure from coastal flooding, intense storm events, erosion, and sea level rise 

  • Improving public access to our city’s waterfront—including greenspace/water recreation and fishing—by restoring wetland habitat diversity and improving water quality  

Concurrent, ongoing shoreline clean-up and maintenance efforts enhance the work of two Trash Wheels in removing debris from the Middle Branch, partnering with these wetland restoration efforts.
 
You can learn more about how MBRI aims to protect and connect the shoreline as outlined in Chapter 2 of the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan's Design Vision.

Construction of the Hanover Street Wetlands section is made possible through funding from Baltimore City’s Department of Public Works and Maryland’s Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. Additional funding from FEMA’s BRIC program, NOAA, Baltimore County, Maryland Department of the Environment, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has been secured for future phases of MBRI.

Thank you to the Hanover Street Wetlands funders:

Community Information Session: September 13, 2023

MBRI Project Partners:

Reimagine Middle Branch, a community-driven initiative, is led by the City of Baltimore, South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, and Parks & People, working alongside a team of expert consultants, stakeholders, and Baltimoreans.