In 1980, the dam at the former drinking water reservoir for the community of Sherwood Forest located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland failed. After that time, the side slopes of the resulting stream channel failed regularly, filling the downstream tidal pond with sediment. The former tidal pond became a phragmites marsh with no open water interface remaining. In April 2001, the Howard's Branch Wetlands Restoration Project was completed mitigating this upstream sediment source. This project restored vital habitat for snapping turtle, mud turtle, yellow perch, blue crab, minnow species, waterfowl, eel grass, Atlantic white-cedar and others, and removed a fish blockage at the tidal interface between Brewer Creek and Hidden Pond.