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Introduction
Poplar Island, recently on the verge of disappearing, is today a national model for habitat restoration and the beneficial use of dredged material. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District has teamed with the Maryland Port Administration and other Federal and State agencies to restore Poplar Island using dredged material from the Baltimore Harbor and Channels Federal navigation projects (only approach channels). Just off the Chesapeake Bay coastline, about 34 miles south of Baltimore in Talbot County, MD, Poplar Island is being returned to its former size and important ecological function while helping to ensure the economic vitality of the region. Approximately 68 million cubic yards (mcy) of dredged material will be placed to develop 735 acres of wetlands, 840 acres of uplands and 140 acres of open water embayment.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Poplar Island experienced a significant amount of change. In 1847, the island was more than 1,000 acres in size. The forces of nature continued to alter the island. By the early 1900s, the continually eroding shoreline had split the island into three separate landmasses. Development on the island had evolved to include numerous farms, a post office, school, and sawmill, but the residents were becoming increasingly concerned about their shrinking real estate.
It was probably Poplar Island's abundant wildlife and isolated beauty that attracted President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman to the location. In 1931 the Jefferson Islands Club was established to provide a weekend retreat for prominent Democratic politicians and businessmen of the era. By 1931, Poplar Island, the northernmost of the three islands, had been reduced to only 134 acres.
By the 1960s, the main island was barely 80 acres. Over the next 30 years the islands continued to diminish in size and by 1990 the total area was less than 10 acres.
In 1994, an interagency group, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Maryland Port Administration, and Federal and State environmental agencies studied the feasibility of using Poplar Island as a beneficial use project for dredged material from the Chesapeake Bay navigation channels leading to the Port of Baltimore. Following the necessary environmental studies, it was determined that rebuilding Poplar Island and restoring over 1,000 acres of diverse habitat was a viable beneficial use of dredged material.
In September of 1996, the project was approved for construction. A Project Cooperation Agreement was executed with the State of Maryland in April 1997. Construction began in 1998 and the project is expected to be completed by 2027.
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Poplar Island experienced a significant amount of change. In 1847, the island was more than 1,000 acres in size. The forces of nature continued to alter the island. By the early 1900s, the continually eroding shoreline had split the island into three separate landmasses.
Development on the island had evolved to include numerous farms, a post office, school, and sawmill, but the residents were becoming increasingly concerned about their shrinking real estate.
the Maryland Port Administration, and Federal and State environmental agencies studied the feasibility of using Poplar Island as a beneficial use project for dredged material from the Chesapeake Bay navigation channels leading to the Port of Baltimore. Following the necessary environmental studies, it was determined that rebuilding Poplar Island and restoring over 1,000 acres of diverse habitat was a viable beneficial use of dredged material.