On Saturday, July 11, the Coastal Conservation Association Maryland’s Patuxent River Chapter began efforts to distribute approximately 1.5 million oysters in several tributaries to the Patuxent in partnership with local homeowners, aquaculturists, the state government and Dominion Resources.

Approximately 250,000 spat on shell were placed in cages and attached to piers of 48 homeowners on Calvert County’s Mill Creek. The project was coordinated by 13-year-old Boy Scout Calvin Davies and members of CCA MD and Boy Scout Troop 427 – Solomons Island. The CCA MD work, which will include additional creeks throughout the summer, is part of Governor Martin O’Malley’s Marylanders Grow Oysters program and supported by a $25,000 grant from The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, which operates the Cove Point LNG facility.

“This project is an outstanding example of how recreational anglers, conservation-minded citizens, government, and business can come together to improve water quality,” said Scott McGuire, president, Patuxent River Chapter. “While we know our work will not solve the problem, we are making a difference in the past two years.”

Last year the chapter, now in its third year, planted 64,000 oysters in two Patuxent River tributaries.

Additional cage distributions are already scheduled for Hellen Creek on July 18 and Hungerford Creek on July 25. Other areas where CCA MD is working to start oyster restoration projects include Mears Creek, Battle Creek, Nan’s Cove, Spring Cove, and Island Creek.
   
“We are anxious to start projects anywhere in the Patuxent watershed south of Battle Creek. Anyone living on a tributary of the Patuxent in either Calvert or St. Mary’s Counties and wishing to participate should contact us. Our goal is to distribute a total of 1,500 cages to 375 residents this year,” said McGuire.

Photos Courtesey of CCA MD by Ken Tidy

Davies and CCA MD began work on today’s distribution six months ago and it is serving as his Eagle Scout project. Ten members of Troop 427 are working with him in assisting homeowners obtain their spat on shell and cages.

The Patuxent High School freshman has had an interest in oysters and the value they play in filtering Bay water for several years. As a seventh grade student at Mill Creek Middle School, he was named Second Junior Grand Champion for his oyster project in the Prince George’s County Science Fair, the largest fair in the United States for middle school students.

“Growing up around the water, I have learned the importance of oysters in the local environment,” Davies said. “I hope that my Eagle Scout project will make Mill Creek, the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay healthier for the future.”

Once the oysters being planted today reach adult size, they, as all others in this project, will be placed on sanctuary by CCA MD.

The spat on shell effort has shown success in previous efforts by the CCA Md. In the summer of 2008, approximately 33,000 oysters were placed in floats at the piers of 27 homeowners on Hellen Creek in Calvert County. This was the largest CCA MD project to date. Their growth has been deemed nothing short of fantastic by CCA MD members.

While it typically takes an oyster a couple of years to reach three inches in diameter (normal adult size), some of these Hellen Creek oysters, which were purchased from Circle C Oyster Ranch, grew five inches in seven months.

“The success we have seen is fueling our ability to grow more oysters” said Chris Moe, creek captain, Hellen Creek. “We believe our project is demonstrating that conservation-minded citizens, aquaculturists, and recreational anglers have a path toward restoring oysters. This can potentially have a huge positive impact on Bay water quality.”