The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and partners resumed oyster restoration in Harris Creek, Jan. 13, 2015. The project is part of the Maryland and Virginia statewide oyster restoration program, as laid out by the Corps’ Native Oyster Restoration Master Plan that identifies the most suitable tributaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay for large-scale oyster restoration based on physical and biological conditions.
New construction in Harris Creek consists of placing 57 acres of reef in water 6 to 9 feet deep (mean lower low water, MLLW). Similar work in the Tred Avon River is also scheduled to begin this winter, and efforts may occur simultaneously. In the Tred Avon, 24 acres of reef will be placed in water 9 to 20 feet deep (MLLW).
Work includes constructing 1-foot reefs using rock and mixed-shell materials. Constructed reefs will be made of: 1) rock only, (3 to 6 inches in size); 2) combination of rock and mixed shell; or 3) mixed shell only (2 to 3 inches in diameter). The shell comes from processing plants in the mid-Atlantic region and is permitted to be imported and placed in the river. The rock is quarried in Havre de Grace, Md.
Construction is anticipated to end spring 2015. The reefs will be monitored to assess the restoration progress. The State of Maryland has planted more than a billion oysters in the Harris Creek Sanctuary since 2011.
source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.