Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery, MD and VA

FACT SHEET as of February 4, 2019

AUTHORIZATION: Section 704(b) of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 (PL 99-662), as amended by Section 505 of WRDA 1996 (PL 104-303); Section 342 of WRDA 2000 (PL 106-541); Section 113 of the Energy and Water Development Appropriation Act, 2002; Section 126 of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2006; Section 5021 WRDA 2007 (PL 110-114), Section 4010 (a)(2) WRRDA 2014 (PL 113-449), and Section 1180, Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act 2016.

TYPE OF PROJECT: Ecosystem Restoration

CONTRIBUTION TO CHESAPEAKE BAY: Directly contributes to achieving protection and restoration goals established by the 2009 Executive Order 13508 and the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Program Agreement goals to restore clean water, recover habitat, and sustain fish and wildlife.

PROJECT PHASE: Construction

CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST: Senators Cardin and Van Hollen (MD), Warner and Kaine (VA); Representatives Harris (MD-01), Sarbanes (MD-03), Hoyer (MD-05), Wittman (VA-01), Taylor (VA-02), and Scott (VA-03).

NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Virginia Marine Resources Commission

BACKGROUND: Oyster populations have declined dramatically since the turn of the 20th century, due to habitat loss, overharvesting, and parasitic diseases. Oyster restoration is critical to the economic and environmental survival of the Chesapeake Bay and is a high priority for the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Chesapeake Bay Program. This oyster (recovery) restoration program began in 1997 for Maryland and in 2001 for Virginia. Program funds are executed by both Norfolk and Baltimore districts to support restoration activities in both states.

Project elements include: (1) disease-free spat (baby oysters) from state-owned hatcheries; (2) creation of new oyster habitat; (3) rehabilitation of existing non-productive oyster habitat; (4) construction of seed bars (reefs) for production and collection of spat; (5) planting spat on the new and rehabilitated bars; and (6) monitoring of project performance. The non-federal sponsor for Maryland is the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR); the sponsor for Virginia is the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. The Maryland project cooperation agreement was executed Feb. 27, 1997, with an amendment in July

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – BALTIMORE DISTRICT 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201 https://www.nab.usace.army.mil Page 1 of 3 2002. The Virginia project cooperation agreement was executed Sept. 17, 2001, with amendments in July 2004, June 2007 and January 2017. The long-term native oyster restoration master plan covering the entire Chesapeake Bay was completed in December 2012.

To date, the Corps has constructed nearly 436 acres of oyster bars in Harris Creek and Tred Avon rivers and more than 399 acres in Virginia at Tangier Sound, Pocomoke Sound, the Great Wicomico River, Piankatank River, and the Lynnhaven River. Some of these new oyster bars were left for natural recruitment while others were seeded with hatchery-raised spat.

STATUS: The restoration goals for Harris Creek were met in FY 2015. Monitoring will continue in Harris Creek to determine restoration success per the oyster metric goals. Monitoring of the Virginia sites has shown that many of the Great Wicomico and Lynnhaven river sanctuary oyster reefs are exceeding the accepted target for successful oyster restoration.

BUDGET ($): CONSTRUCTION

Total Estimated Cost (MD+VA)1 $133,333,000 Federal Cost Estimate 100,000,000 Non-Federal Cost Estimate 33,333,000

Federal Funds Data Allocations thru FY 2017 $51,048,000

Allocation for FY 2018 40,253

President’s Budget FY 20192 0

Allocation for FY 20193 49,999 Balance to Complete 48,861,748

NOTES: 1 Estimate based on the current federal authorization for this program. The long-term master plan has identified a need of $2-6 billion to complete restoration in 20 tributaries. 2 The President typically sends the budget to Congress in February each year. Upon release, budget amounts for the USACE Civil Works programs and specified projects are posted online at the HQUSACE website in a Program Budget Press Book at http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Budget.aspx. 3 The allocation amount for a project is determined after enactment of the Energy and Water appropriations or after public release of an approved FY work plan should there be no appropriations (i.e., a full year continuing authority is enacted).

SCHEDULE:

FY 2018 Completed Work: In Baltimore District: completed reef construction of 4.25 acres in the Tred Avon River; and continued program coordination and monitoring. In Norfolk District: continued adaptive management of reefs constructed in the Great Wicomico River; continued development of a tributary plan for the Lafayette River; solicited and awarded monitoring contracts for Lynnhaven, Great Wicomico, and Piankatank rivers and developed strategy for programmatic NEPA documents.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – BALTIMORE DISTRICT 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201 https://www.nab.usace.army.mil Page 2 of 3 FY 2019 Scheduled Work: In Baltimore District: continue working with partners as a Federal contributor to the Maryland restoration efforts and pending additional funding, complete design (plans and specifications package) for award of up to 45 acre reef construction in the Tred Avon River. In Norfolk District: carry over funds will be used to award a contract for monitoring the constructed reefs, as well as for planning and design activities to support future reef construction in the Piankatank and Lynnhaven Rivers; continue development of programmatic NEPA documents.

COMPLETION: TBD. With optimal funding and sufficient construction resources, oyster restoration will continue working toward achievement of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement goal to restore sustainable oyster populations in 10 tributaries (five in VA and five in MD) by 2025.

For more information regarding the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program, please contact Gayle McCowin, CENAB-PPC, (410) 962-1737, or e-mail [email protected].

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – BALTIMORE DISTRICT 2 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201 https://www.nab.usace.army.mil Page 3 of 3