Take a good look at these two photos.
That dense plume of silt is in the Tred Avon River, right alongside oyster sanctuaries that the State of Maryland and many non-profits and individuals have worked decades to secure. Millions of taxpayer dollars spent in the Tred Avon. Oyster restoration done carefully over many years, with great diligence and precision.
Yet here is a barge pulled up the Tred at low tide through oyster reef sanctuaries, plowing many tons of mud directly onto oyster reefs and SAV beds, “prop dredging” the bottom for at least a mile. One pass causes enormous damage, and its irrevocable. You and I have to jump though untold hoops for special permits to do almost anything on the shoreline that would generate erosion or sediment, lest we lower water quality, damage the bottom for oysters and other wildlife, impede recovery of the Bay. As little as a millimeter of sediment has been shown to adversely affect spat set.
But the MD Department of Environment (MDE) is cool with this almost routine, unauthorized dredging–or at least indifferent. ShoreRivers raised the alarm, only to be told there’s nothing to be done, no regulation that applies. MDE is comfortable pleading impotence.
That department has been a mess for decades, misnamed in extremis. Should be the “Department-Of-Permits-For-Monied-Interests,” or maybe the “Department-Of-We-Only-Pretend-To-Care.” Everywhere you turn, MDE is letting us down. And the Moore Administration has done nothing to clean house.
Where are our local officials on this? The Talbot County Council should be raising hell, and Johnny Mautz, delegates Hutchinson and Adams too. Where is DNR? Shrugging this off is not a solution.
Dan Watson
Easton
Point of clarification to say that Delegate Hutchinson has been helpful, and once he saw the photographs he reached out to ask how he could help. He followed up by sending a request to MDE asking for their attention, from which their response was as murky as the river was from the barge over who has authority in this case – the state or the federal government.
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Dan
As always you make excellent points. Sadly the Moore administration and Moore himself are nothing but lip service. “Or let’s not rock the boat as long as I have national aspirations”
Being a Democratic these days isn’t always easy, but it beats the alternative.
If I recall correctly, the DNR was gutted under Gov. Hogan. At one hearing in Annapolis, the head of the DNR, appointed by Hogan, admitted his department lost so much staff that he could not meet it’s legal obligations. But that was pretty much okay. Then, as now, regulation is a four-letter word that slows down our progress to the Golden Age of America. The Age of Golden Ballrooms, Golden Arches, Sci-fi Golden Domes, Blue Reflecting Pools, and 14 foot tall golden statues of Donald Trump that are blessed, like a Golden Calf, by White Christian Nationalists.
I’ve been a long term fan of Dan Watson and seldom find that he misses the mark. I do not know enough about Moore’s administration concerning the DNR, but I hope Moore is not allowing the destruction of our environment that is actively promoted by local and national Republicans.
Another great letter, Dan. MDE let us down on water issues in Trappe and this is another example of it’s failure to adhere to the law.
Agree MDE is a fraud of a state agency . They’ve enabled bad development and have participated in overt corruption for years running. We try to chase them with honesty and truth and they recoil into the states sovereign immunity. It’s time for a real investigation of their staff. Would be interesting to get Dnr to testify against Mde.
Sad commentary. How difficult would it have been to wait for a high tide? Readers are correct, where are our local leaders? Disgraceful.
Former Oxford resident.
The MDE should be renamed the Maryland Destroyers of the Environment. This is but a minor blemish in the atrocities that the MDE has allowed to continually happen in our state. It wasn’t Gov. Hogan who defunded the DNR , It was O’mally, Hogan increased the funding
Thank you, Dan!
I’m so glad we have you, Dan!! Thank you!
OMG — this is absolutely horrible.
Why does the Maryland Department of the Environment allow “prop dredging” that forces tons of mud over our oyster sanctuaries?
Our community has spent years painstakingly growing baby oysters from spat and rebuilding these sanctuaries by hand. Volunteers, watermen, and environmental groups have worked tirelessly to restore a vital part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Yet in one foul swoop — like the incident pictured above — that work can be destroyed.
Oysters are essential to the health of our waterways. They filter the water, provide habitat, and support the Bay’s fragile ecosystem. Smothering oyster sanctuaries with sediment undermines years of restoration efforts and taxpayer-supported conservation work.
This cannot go unnoticed. The Maryland Department of the Environment must investigate this immediately, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure the area is properly cleaned up and protected from future damage.