Federation Blog

The idea that ignorance could be a strength sounds odd (unless you're an Orwell fan), but the acknowledgment that one has significant knowledge gaps, rather than a full or almost complete understanding of an incredibly complex system, can be empowering, particularly in an evolving discipline.  That case is well made by Dr. Eugene Turner in the article linked here, "The value of 'ignorance' in restoration."

The central thesis is that the assumption that "restoration" is bound to work is very likely a road to perpetuating failure.  If we aren't monitoring what works and what doesn't, and revising our strategy when things don't work, we're going to end up wasting a lot of time and money and missing great opportunities to improve outcomes.

The Federation is working with a local landowner to undertake a massive restoration effort on the headwaters of Church Creek, just about Route 665 (Aris T. Allen Blvd).  As part of that effort, we have hired an environmental consulting firm to design and permit plans for the project.   Earlier this morning, I met out at the site with the consultant to walk the property and get a sense of the lay of the land.

Currently, the property is at the confluence of two streams (below), one coming from Route 2 and one from Old Forest Dr. (by the Allen Apartments) than drain some of the most heavily urbanized and paved portions of the South River watershed.  The restoration plan is to create a stream and wetland system that will trap and process sediment and nutrients from upstream and provide high quality habitat for fish, birds, and amphibians.

As was the case yesterday with Flat Creek, because the marsh was frozen much more solidly than usual, we were able to get down to tidewater where we found a pleasant surprise: Beavers!  This beaver lodge had clear signs of recent activity. 

 Not far downstream, I came across the biggest of several dams.  It's approximately 40' long by about 18" high, and is probably close to underwater at high tide.  Right now, you can see that it is impounding quite a bit of water in an area that would normally be dry.

 There are historic signs that beaver have been present further up the system, but the thinking is that perhaps, carrying the stormwater from Parole, Harbor Center, the Festival at Riva, and Old Forest Drive, the stream is too "flashy" and high energy  for their dams to remain stable in that location.  The hope is that through restoration we will have a stream and wetland complex that encourages beaver and other wildlife to once again inhabit this green corridor.

Two living shoreline projects, both of them on Beard's Creek, were recently funded with stimulus money from MDE/EPA.  The Annapolis Landing project was completed in early December, and the one pictured below, at Southdown Shores, was recently initiated.   The design and permitting of the project were funded by the Federation as part of our Targeted Watershed Grant.  The Federation helped fund the installation of several community rain gardens near the Annapolis Landing project to protect a steep slope above the shoreline.  The Federation is excited to have been a partner in these restoration efforts and looks forward to help planting them in the spring.

In less than 4 weeks, the 20' deep canyon behind the Riva 400 office complex has been transformed in a beautiful, restored series of sand-bedded step pools recently planted with Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginica), and a variety of ferns planted by local students.

During the course of the past week the area has experienced extremely high tides, and some of the coastal portions of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia suffered serious flooding.  One of the benefits of the high tides, however, has been that they allow kayaks, rowers, and paddlers to get into areas that are otherwise inaccessible. 

 One such location is the St. George Barber Marsh, located between Flat Creek and the Route 50 bridge on the south side of the river.  Depth is generally pretty shallow to begin with, but for the past several months, the marsh has been impounded by beavers.

 The high tide allowed member John Koontz to row over the dam and get into the interior of the marsh where he snapped the above shot of two beaver dens.

It's great to see the beaver making such a strong comeback on the South River.  

 

 Yesterday the County started a great stream restoration project on the headwaters off of Gingerville Creek.  This section of Gingerville Creek is hidden away off of Riva Road.  The stormdrain/pipe drained much of the water from the surrounding area which includes Annapolis High School, Anne Arundel County offices, other misc. office buildings; in other words a lot of impervious suface.  This pipe carried so much water at such a high velocity that it created a 15 - 20 foot gorge. All of the sediment that was cut down was carried into Gingerville creek, South River.  This is only one of many restoration projects that need to be done across the South River Watershed- we need to slow the water down.

 

The flower spikes of this native grass come to life by creating a pink "cloud-like" effect on the planting area while in bloom.
Easy to grow and provides interest in all four seasons.
Ht: 18-24". Zones 5-8.

This field is on Harness Creek Rd - beautiful to see in person! There are specimens planted at the Chesapeake Ecology Center on the Adams Academy campus in Annapolis.

 What's growing on your oysters may not be algae......

It could be Bryozoans

Bryozoans are minute, tentacle-bearing, moss-like animals that form colonies permanently attached to rocks, pilings, ropes, etc. Individual bryozoans are microscopic, but colonies appear as soft, fuzzy, greenish-brown layer and can be mistaken for algae. Bryozoans are filter feeders!  We like them!!

 

Algae growth is less fuzzy and usually more strand-like. 

 

Latest and greatest from AA County, with influence from Watershed Stewards Academy!  It's an online raingarden procedure!   Included is a raingarden worksheet in Excel, to help figure out size, amendment amounts, etc.  Also with good soil links, and other raingarden guides.

Check it out!

http://www.aacounty.org/dpw/highways/raingarden.cfm

 

After 5 years of research, and untold tens of thousands of dollars spent studying the issue, we now know what many of us knew all along: Oysters grow better and survive in greater numbers when they're grown up off the bottom of our rivers and the Bay.

 The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences has been studying oyster bars in the Great Wicomico River for a number of years and has recently revealed that oysters grown on elevated bars thrive and survive at far higher rates than oysters planted on the silty river bottom (video below).   

 All of this is well and good, and an encouraging sign for the comeback of the native oyster.  The problem is, it's been known for ages.   Oystermen have known it, oyster aquaculture specialists have known it, and many in the restoration field have known it.

 The problem is, "resource protection" organizations, like DNR still insist that the reefs be created too far down in the water column in order not to be a "hazard to navigation."  These oyster bars should be breaking the surface on low tide, both to prevent oysters from being choked out by the silt that clogs our waterways and to get the oysters higher in the water column, where dissolved oxygen is more abundant and they will be less stressed and susceptible to disease.