Spoil to Splendor: A Story of Chesapeake Bay Island Restoration Presented by Christopher P. Guy, Peter C. McGowan And Robbie Callahan U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office Annapolis, Maryland

The Paul S. Sarbanes Ecological Restoration Project at Poplar Island, Talbot County Maryland

Partners U.S Army Corps of Engineers* ● U.S Army Corps of Engineers* ● Maryland Port Authority* ● Maryland Environmental Service* ● Maryland Geological Survey ● Maryland Dept. Environment ● Maryland Dept. Of Natural Resources * Principal funding organizations/project management ● University of Maryland ● Ohio University ● USGS ● NOAA ● USFWS

What is Poplar Island? A 27 year, 700 million dollar beneficial use of dredged material project. Accepting clean material from Baltimore approach channels to restore island habitat to the Chesapeake Bay. A 27 year, 700 million dollar beneficial use of dredged material project. Accepting clean material from Baltimore approach channels to restore island habitat to the Chesapeake Bay.

● Loss of island and wetland habitat as well as culturally significant areas throughout Chesapeake Bay due to erosion and sea level rise. ● Placement site for maintenance dredging material Why Bother?

So Where Is It Anyway? ●34 Nautical miles south of Baltimore, Maryland ● 34 Nautical miles south of Baltimore, Maryland ● 17 miles SSE of Annapolis, Maryland ● 30 miles east of Washington D.C ● 30 miles east of Washington D.C.

Tilghman Island 1934-Picture provided by the Smithsonian Institution Poplar Island

N

1847: >1100 acres

Design Features ● 1,140 acres (50% wetlands/50% uplands); 1847 ● 570 acres of marsh (80% low marsh/20% high marsh) ● 40 mcy capacity (25 mcy at present)

Wetlands Uplands North

Project Restoration Goals: ● Create remote and diverse island habitat ● Create remote and diverse island habitat ● Restore quiescent water habitat in Poplar Harbor to promote submerged aquatic vegetation recovery ● Create/enhance tidal wetlands to provide fish and wildlife habitat

Project Restoration Goals: ● Create bare/sparsely vegetated islands within the restored marshes to provide nesting habitat for birds (terns, black skimmers, oyster catcher etc.) ● Create/enhance vegetated islands within the restore marshes to provide nesting habitat for birds (egrets, herons, black duck, etc.)

Island Aerials September (Pre-construction)

Wildlife Management Activities ● Disease response ● Predator/nuisance species control (gulls, great horned owl,mute swan, fox, muskrat,) and surveillance. ● Predator/nuisance species control (gulls, great horned owl, mute swan, fox, muskrat,) and surveillance. ● Monitoring (wildlife, wetland, and SAV).

Wildlife Management Activities ● Habitat enhancement (shrub plantings, Christmas trees, and snags). ● Nesting structures installation (osprey, tree swallows etc). ● Develop wildlife management plan.

Wildlife Disease Response Avian Botulism Steatitis Steatitis Avian Paramyxovirus (Newcastle Disease) Avian Paramyxovirus (Newcastle Disease)

Wildlife Disease Response

Predator/Nuisance Species Control

Habitat Enhancement

Nest Box/Structures

Avian Monitoring Osprey Snowy egret Double-crested cormorant Least and Common terns

● Estimating areal coverage by species ● Measuring stem heights ● Species diversity Wetland Monitoring

Marsh Restoration Progression MAY JUNEJULY AUGUSTSEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring

“POP”ular Destination Red-winged Blackbird Great Blue Heron Willet Tree Swallow Snowy Egret Black Skimmer Gulls American Avocet Sandpiper

Questions ???