Masonville Dredged Material Containment Facility (DMCF) is a 130-acre facility located on the south bank of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River designed to help the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) meet its needs for dredged material placement, clean up a blighted area in southeast Baltimore, and enhance the surrounding habitat.
The development of the DMCF incorporates an extensive mitigation and community enhancement package. The environmental restoration program features contaminated materials capping, tidal and non-tidal wetlands construction, reef creation and harbor substrate improvement, stream restoration, upland habitat restoration and reforestation, and construction of a “green building” environmental education center. Construction began in 2006 with the removal of derelict structures and the relocation vessels and utilities. The waterside dikes and cofferdam structure were completed by June 2010. The site became operational on November 3, 2010.
Moffatt & Nichol prepared design documents and performed construction oversight for the mitigation projects. Implementation of the mitigation package required integration of the remedial activities with the habitat enhancements and coordination with stakeholders and members of the community. The design features approximately two miles of shoreline restoration and stabilization using created fringe marshes with sandy beaches and living shorelines behind offshore rock breakwaters, 90 acres of reef creation and substrate improvement and seven acres of creation and enhancement of tidal wetlands.
