Poplar Island: Ecological work in progress

[M Whilden]

M Whilden

October 9, 2007 at 2:29 pm #25308

Poplar Island: Ecological work in progressBy DAN TABLERSpecial to The Star DemocratOctober 9, 2007 POPLAR ISLAND “It’s an ecological work in progress.” That’s the phrase mentioned several times to a group of Queen Anne’s County Soil Conservation workers and this writer on a one-day tour of the restoration work on Poplar island in the Chesapeake Bay just south of Kent Point. And what a massive undertaking it is! In the midst of a near-20-year project, Poplar Island, once on the verge of extinction, is becoming a national model for not only the beneficial use of dredged material from the Bay bottom, but also for habitat restoration. On a bright, sunny, cloudless day some 20 members of the Soil Conservation District were given a tour of the 3 mile-long island. It was interesting and indeed an educational outlook of some two hours which is offered free of charge to the public by the Maryland Environmental Service. Our two guides, Caitlin and Robin, explained that the island was composed of some 1,140 acres in 1847, supporting a small town of more than 100, including a sawmill, by the late 1880’s. However, extensive erosion reduced the island to four small pieces of land of less than 10 acres by 1990. A wooden island, just off the shoreline of Poplar Island, known as Jefferson Island, was purchased in the 1930s and in following years became a popular vacation retreat for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. It is privately owned and was sought to be included in the Poplar Island project, but negotiations fell through. It is believed for sale now for $4 million. In 1994, an interagency team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Port Authority and other environmental agencies decided the tiny cluster of islands was worth saving. At a total cost of $407 million, the Corps of Engineers is putting up 75 percent and the port authority, 25 percent. It was agreed to try and rebuild the island to its original 1,140 acres. Using tons of stones for the outer perimeter, making the area 3 miles long and half-mile wide, the dredged material from the channels leading into Baltimore Harbor was shipped by barge to the site. Some two to three million yards come in yearly. Engineers monitor the material to make sure only “clean” fill is used. The shipping interests want the bay channel to be at least 50 feet in depth and dredging is a full-time project. The rivers flowing into the Chesapeake bring a constant supply of fine silt which settles into the shipping channels. From March to November, large barges bring the fill to the island where it is pumped into different “cells,” as the sections are called. The highest point of the island will be 28 feet, called plans, while the lowlands consist of marshland. In a 24-hour period, eight barges can be unloaded on site. Trailers set up on the island house space for inspectors from the different agencies in charge of the work, who monitor the dredged material daily. It is expected that the project will be completed by 2018. Then it will become an environmental laboratory, beneficial to the bay, as a tidal wetlands, a site for dredged material and a habitat for many species of birds and wildlife. This includes not only ducks and geese, but the Great Blue Heron, egrets and diamond back terrapin. Also seen are a number of eagles. Native grasses and wild flowers are planted to reduce erosion. Daily tours of the island focus on students as an educational tool. Here young people study environmental science in the form of water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, erosion/deposition, ecosystems, and species diversity. A short video gives an overview of the work prior to the tour of the island. The guides told us they have been busy all summer with just one tour given a day. There is a maximum of 24 people permitted at a time, with eight as a minimum. The tour is free, but runs only from March to November. Organizations or clubs may call 410-770-6503 and speak to Robin or Catlin to set up a visit. Only one tour can be taken daily. Poplar Island is a part of Talbot County and you reach it by boat from Tilghman Island. The state boat, Terrapin, is boarded alongside the Knapps Narrow drawbridge as you enter Tilghman Island. I believe the draw is the busiest one in Maryland. All this information and directions will be given as you make arrangements for the tour.

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