Partners including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Baltimore District, and Oyster Recovery Partnership are
teaming up on a project to restore native oysters to the Tred Avon River
on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
The Little Choptank River oyster sanctuary was established in 2010. Water quality favorable for oyster growth and reproduction, a large amount of restorable bottom, and good historical spat set led the Maryland Interagency Workgroup to choose the Little Choptank River as the second tributary for large-scale oyster restoration.
Based on water quality, available restorable bottom, protection from harvest, and historical spat set, the Maryland Interagency Workgroup selected Harris Creek, a tributary on the north shore of the Choptank River, as its first tributary for intensive oyster restoration.
The entire Severn River was designated as an oyster sanctuary area by the State in 2009. Still active, restoration of oyster reefs here is ongoing in hopes that
any larvae produced might be carried downstream to more favorable
settlement
areas and that the oyster reef habitat can be restored to its
historical footprint.