Engineer Research and Development Center Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration Research Program Deborah Shafer Engineer Research and Development Center

SAV Program Coordination Chesapeake Bay Program Corps of Engineers CE Baltimore District CE Norfolk District Other Federal Agencies- NOAA EPA Academic University of Maryland Virginia Institute of Marine Science Anne Arundel Community College ERDC Role: Provides leadership and coordination at the national level State Agencies Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources Congressional Staff

Funding Authorization Year Funding Level Project Summary FY 03 $500K (less S&S) 1 focus area, 3 projects, all in MD plus Regional Workshop FY 04 $ 0 ($163K restored from S&S) Continuation of previous year’s projects (3) FY 05 $ 1 M (less S&S) 2 focus areas, 7 projects, both MD and VA FY 06 $ 500 K (no S&S) Continuation of previous year’s projects, MD and VA (6)

Ability to Leverage Funds Through Links to Other Corps Programs ● Section 206 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Section 204 Beneficial Uses of Dredged Materials Section 227 Shoreline Erosion Control Ecosystem Management and Restoration Research Program (EMRRP) Regional Sediment Management Program (RSM) Dredging Operations and Environmental Research Program (DOER)

Initial Interagency Planning Meeting Priority: Consistency with CBP SAV Protection and Restoration Strategy Initiative 3. Accelerate SAV restoration by planting 1,000 acres of new SAV beds by December 2008. What are the most cost-effective methods for large-scale planting? “Strategy to Accelerate the Protection and Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay” Chesapeake Bay Program--January 14, 2003

Consistency with CBP SAV Protection and Restoration Strategy Initiative 4. Enhance SAV research, citizen involvement and education.

Research Approach Program Focus Areas: ● SAV Production and Planting (FY 03-FY06) Includes issues related to plant supply and propagation (ACTION 3.2 in CB SAV STRATEGY) ● Engineered SAV Habitats (FY 05-FY06) Wave energy thresholds for created and restored SAV beds—design critieria for wave attenuation structures

Initial Program Focus Area: SAV Production and Planting Eelgrass seeds Moving away from a focus on planting adult plants towards development of an agricultural system “crops of wild communities” Mark Fonseca Problem: Basic information on seed germination and storage requirements generally not available Eelgrass seedlings

FY 03 Accomplishments 1. Initial interagency meeting to establish program research priorities. 2. Development of capability for large-scale seed collection and storage Funding Recipient: MDDNR SAV Species: Zostera marina (eelgrass) 3. Protocols for Using Seeds of Mesohaline SAV Species in Large-Scale SAV Restoration Funding Recipient: Anne Arundel Community College SAV Species: Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass) and redhead grass (Potomogeton perfoliatus) 4. Demonstration Planting: Potomac River Comparison of hand-planting adult plants with direct seeding 5. Hosted Regional SAV Restoration Workshop (Baltimore, Sept 2003) 6. Established web site http://www.wes.army.mil/el/sav/

Focus Area: SAV Production and Planting FY 04 Projects Focus Area: SAV Production and Planting No New Starts—continuation of existing projects from FY 03 1. Development of capability for large-scale seed collection and storage Funding Recipient: MDDNR SAV Species: Zostera marina (eelgrass) 2. Protocols for Using Seeds of Mesohaline SAV Species in Large-Scale SAV Restoration Funding Recipient: Anne Arundel Community College SAV Species: Ruppia maritima (widgeongrass) and redhead grass (Potomogeton perfoliatus) 3. Demonstration Planting: Potomac River Comparison of hand-planting adult plants with direct seeding

FY 05-06 Projects Funding Recipient Project Title SAV Species Anne Arundel Community College Development of a Protocol for Large-Scale Restoration of Ruppia maritima and Potamogeton perfoliatus by Seed Ruppia maritima Potamogeton perfoliatus University of Maryland Production and Field Planting of Vegetative Tubers for Restoration of Redhead Grass and Sago Pondweed in Chesapeake Bay Stuckenia pectinata Virginia Institute of Marine Science Development of Techniques for the Use of Seeds in the Large Scale Propagation and Restoration of Low Salinity SAV Valisneria americana Technology Development for Achieving Critical Thresholds in Large Scale SAV Restoration Zostera marina A Comparative Test of Mechanized and Manual Planting of Eelgrass Seeds Seagrass Habitat Engineering: Defining the Needed Balance in Wave Attenuation MD Dept. Natural Resources Comparison of Hand-planting and Seeding in the Potomac River, MD (Ended in FY 05)

SAV Technical Note Products TITLE STATUS Restoration Potential of Ruppia maritima and Potamogeton perfoliatus by Seed in the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Available online Buoy Deployed Seeding: A New Low-Cost Technique for Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation From Seed FINAL Applications and Limitations of Micro-propagation for the Production of Underwater Grasses Protocols for Large-Scale Collection, Processing, and Storage of Seeds of Two Mesohaline Submerged Aquatic Plant Species Reproductive ecology of the freshwater macrophyte Valisneria americana: A review In review Additional publications will include journal articles and conference and workshop presentations Web link: http://www.wes.army.mil/el/sav/

Benefits State-of-the-art technical standards and guidance for planning, implementing, and monitoring submerged aquatic vegetation restoration projects will: ● Provide resource managers with the necessary tools to help meet targeted SAV restoration goals ● Contribute to improved success rates and predictability for submerged aquatic vegetation restoration projects ● Provide practical guidance on selection of appropriate methods for SAV restoration ● Improve coordination between Corps and other stakeholders involved in SAV restoration

Q & A?