MEMORIAL STADIUM/OYSTER BAR PROJECT

The Maryland Eastern Shore RC&D Council, Inc. (RC&D) received funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to transport 2,000 cubic yards of concrete rubble obtained from the demolition of the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, and to use this material to build an oyster bar in Prospect Bay, a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.  The purpose of the oyster bar project was two-fold:  1) to enhance fisheries habitat, particularly for oysters and other aquatic species associated with oyster reefs; and 2) to provide wave protection along the adjacent shoreline. 

 

Memorial Stadium was the home of the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Colts since the early 1950’s.  Two contractors were involved in the project—one demolished the stadium and hauled the material to the Port of Baltimore, and the second contractor barged the 2,000 cubic yards of 1 to 10-inch  concrete rubble in a huge barge to the project site.  The material was then off-loaded into two smaller barges with shallower drafts, which then went into 4 feet of water and unloaded and placed the material in a 300-foot long pile 50 feet wide, with the top being at the MLT line or 4 feet.  In addition, a third contractor signed on to build and install concrete “fish havens”.  Sixty of these fish havens were built and installed, extending the oyster bar by another 300 feet (also 50-foot width).

 

These two phases of the project are expected to benefit the fisheries industry greatly.  The oyster bar was seeded with oyster spat in October 2002.  Since that time a monitoring protocol has been formulated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and monitoring began in March of 2003.  Data should be available about the success of the oyster population  by the September meeting.  Partners include RC&D, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, AmeriCorps, and private contractors.

 

AMERICORPS

• Our NCCC Team this year reported for 6 weeks of work on March 4 and worked at the following sites in March:

-         Blackwater Wildlife Refuge

o       Barn owl boxes

o       Osprey platforms

o       Woodland thinning for fuel reduction (fire protection)

-         Hynson Boy Scout –build dining hall tables

-         Pocomoke City—painting first floor of wastewater pumping station

-         Somerset County—drainage maintenance (Venton Road)

-         Snow Hill—painted Purnell Museum

-         Adkins Arboretum—removal of non-native species and trail maintenance

-         Chesapeake Bay Foundation—install bio-logs for shore erosion protection

-         Worcester County—Pocomoke River clearing for canoe and kayak access

-         Cambridge—Court House work

-         Galestown—kitchen painting

SHORE EROSION

RC&D is under contract with Maryland Department of Natural Resources Shore Erosion Control to administer a zero-interest loan program on the Eastern Shore and Charles and Calvert Counties to control shore erosion on private properties by vegetative means, using a minimum amount of rock. Natural Resource Specialist Jerry Walls administers this program.  In addition, we provide assistance for public properties.  Current projects include:

• Construction of 500 feet of stone sill, sand placement and planting of four species of marsh grass.  Contractor is Kibler Brothers.
• Design of 3,000 of revetment, stone sill, fragmites control, and marsh grass planting at Fleming park in Baltimore County.  Consultant is John Huang.