The Shipping Creek Living Shoreline Project provides erosion control benefits, while also enhancing the natural shoreline habitat. This project allows for natural coastal processes to remain through the strategic placement of stone, sand, and plants.

The site is located at the mouth of Shipping Creek on Eastern Bay in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Based on the historical records, the shoreline at this site has eroded by nearly 1000 feet in the past 100 years.

The project includes 680 linear feet of shoreline and more than 2 acres of marsh habitat to be restored. Earlier this spring, low profile headland breakwaters were constructed to reduce wave energy and sand was placed along the existing shoreline to provide an environment suitable for bay grasses and emergent plants. On May 7, volunteers with the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, including local school children, completed the installation by planting marsh grasses and shrubs.  

See newspaper article at:

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/05_10-29/ENV

Some fish and wildlife species are already using the site. The birds to benefit from the restoration include wading birds like herons and egrets, waterfowl such as black ducks, mallards, buffleheads and coots, and numerous shorebirds. Marine species include horseshoe crabs, juvenile blue crabs, striped bass, white perch, killifish, mussels and grass shrimp. The environmental benefits include improved water quality, reduced bank erosion, and restored wetland habitat.

This highly visible location will stand in sharp contrast to traditional shoreline revetments constructed on nearby properties. The living shoreline project engages landowners and volunteers with the intention of educating other citizens in the surrounding communities of the benefits to shoreline protection with habitat restoration.

Partners included landowners Tony and Christy Puglisi, Sustainable Science, LLC

Environmental Quality Resources, LLC, Wildfowl Trust of North America, Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

For more information about this project contact
David Sutherland

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Chesapeake Bay Field Office

177 Admiral Cochrane Drive

Annapolis MD 21401

410.573.4535

david_sutherland@fws.gov