Buried Treasure: Streams Beneath Our Cities
The Story of Harford Run
Shhhhh. Turn down the imaginary volume knob and lower the clatter of cars, buses, trains, subways, and people in our cities. Now...listen carefully...very carefully, and you might just hear a trickle. That's because beneath the concrete, asphalt and skyscrapers are thousands of streams.
As our cities grew, many of the creeks, brooks and rivers that for centuries had wound their way toward their destination began to be regarded as inconveniences that impeded development. So, they were dealt with. Many were straightened and lined in concrete. Perhaps they were the lucky ones. Others were placed in pipes, swiftly buried beneath the sprawling city, and silenced.
As many cities transform from an industrial to a service economy, there are signs of a certain awakening about the importance of these buried streams - not just in terms of ecological function, but also economic revitalization.
Not far from our office, in downtown Baltimore, a little known stream called Harford Run is currently flowing through a concrete canal buried, beneath a crumbling street, only seeing the light of day as it enters the Baltimore Harbor. But thanks to a Biohabitats' Ecological Engineer Chris Streb, who teamed up with the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper and an inspired architect, little Harford Run is starting to make some big noise.
