recommended 4th large scale restoration...1. side scan sonar bottom survey –potential bottom...

Recommended

4th Large Scale Restoration

Tributary

St. Mary’s Sanctuary

Oyster Advisory Commission Meeting: August 13, 2018

1


2

Completed Steps1. Side scan sonar bottom survey – potential bottom suitable for restoration

2. Determine the acreage of currently restorable oyster habitat and define the

restoration goal (target acreage)

Bottom Survey Results from 2010 Sonar Survey


3

Background Data


4

Background Data

0.1 to 1 liter

1.1 to 5 liters

0 Liters

5.1 to 10 liters

10.1 to 15 liters

15.1 to 40 liters

Total Volume of Live

Oysters and Surface

Shell

DNR 2012 & 2015 Patent Tong Survey Results


5

Currently Restorable Oyster Habitat (CROH)

Bottom Type Group Co-Occurring Bottom Type Group

Acres

Anthropogenic Oyster Rubble Sand 3.9

Sand Shell 6.4

Biogenic Oyster Rubble Mud 6.6

Anthropogenic Oyster Rubble Mud 11.6

Muddy Sand Shell 19.5

Biogenic Oyster Rubble Sand 21.7

Total 69.8

Currently Restorable Oyster Habitat (CROH) based on distribution

of shell bottom from recent survey data with a minimum depth of 4

ft. MLLW. Actual restoration would range from 50-100% of CROH.

Restorable Acreage


6

Restoration Construction

Three types of areas

1. Area that already meets the restoration target – No construction needed

( greater than or equal to 50 oysters/m2 and 50 grams of biomass/m2)

2. Area that needs seed only construction

3. Area that need substrate and seed construction


7

Restoration ConstructionProposed Restrictions to Construction Areas

Seed-Only Construction• Depth: 4-20 ft.

• Bottom Type: on shell dominant bottom

• Oyster Density: < 50 per square meter

• Lease Proximity: Not within 150 ft of leases

• Navigation Aid Proximity: Not within 250 ft of navigation aids

• Dock proximity: Not within 50 ft of private docks

• SAV Proximity: Not on SAV beds

• Fall Survey Key Bar: Not on a key bar

Substrate and Seed Construction• Depth: 6-20 ft.

• Bottom Type: Not on shell dominant bottom or on mud bottom

• Oyster Density: < 5 per square meter

• Lease Proximity: Not within 150 ft of leases

• Navigation Aid Proximity: Not within 250 ft of navigation aids

• Dock proximity: Not within 250 ft of private docks

• SAV Proximity: Not on SAV beds

• Fall Survey Key Bar: Not on a key bar


8

Restorable AcreageCurrently Restorable Oyster Habitat (CROH) Target 69.8 acres

To meet the minimum 50% of CROH Target 34.9 acres

PreliminaryArea already potentially meeting restoration density and biomass target

27.4 acres

PreliminaryArea potentially suitable for Substrate and Seed restoration

10.9 acres

PreliminaryArea potentially suitable for Seed Only restoration

23.8 acres

PreliminaryTotal Area (Meet-Target + Substrate/Seed + Seed-Only)

62.1 acres

Percent of CROH 88.9%

St. Mary’s River Watershed Association restoration area 6.6 acres

Acreages of Meets-Target, Substrate/Seed, and Seed-Only will change

after the groundtruthing survey this Fall


9

Draft MapDraft St. Mary’s Sanctuary Restoration Blueprint Map

Potential Seed-Only Restoration

Potential Substrate & Seed Restoration

Existing Sanctuary Boundary

Potential Already Meets Target

SMRWA Restoration Area


10

Next Steps1. Side scan sonar bottom survey – potential bottom suitable for restoration

2. Determine the acreage of currently restorable oyster habitat and define the

restoration goal (target acreage)

3. Oyster patent tong groundtruth survey

• Determine exact acreages

• already exceeds target thus no restoration planting needed

• suitable for seed only construction

• suitable for substrate & seed construction

4. Develop a draft blueprint (plan) for restoring the sanctuary

5. Consulting scientists review draft blueprint

6. Public comment period on draft blueprint

7. Finalize blueprint, obtain substrate planting permits (if applicable), and

implementation


11

Proposed Timeline

Summer/Fall 2018

Groundtruth Survey

Fall/Winter 2018

Draft Blueprint

Winter 2018/2019

Consulting scientists review

Public Outreach & Comments

Spring 2019

Finalize Blueprint

Start Seed-Only Construction

Start permit process for substrate construction

Winter/Spring 2020

Start substrate construction

Fall 2020

Complete initial restoration

Restoration Activities

in other Sanctuaries

Severn River Sanctuary


12


13

Severn River Sanctuary• DNR’s 2017 press release

stated restoration activities

would occur in other

sanctuaries besides the large-

scale restoration partnership

sanctuaries

• Started with Severn River

Sanctuary

• Ongoing work to plant

approximately 50 million

hatchery spat-on-shell in 2018

• State funded in conjunction

with private funds raised by

Severn River Association and

Oyster Recovery Partnership

Homework Assignment

Oyster Stock Assessment


14


15

The Sustainable Oyster Population and Fishery Act of 2016:

“…identify management strategies to address the maintenance of a sustainable

oyster population and fishery.”

List of Management Tools in Stock Assessment Report

• Will provide definitions of potential tools that could be used to manage public

commercial oyster fishery and oyster population based on the results of the

stock assessment

• Assembled with input from OAC, TFAC, SFAC and the County Oyster

Committees

• Will not provide recommendations on which management strategy(s) should be

selected and implemented

• Will provide the platform for a future public process to determine the course of

management

Please review the list of management tools and provide the department with

any management tools that you think should be added to the list. Please

send this to Jodi Baxter ([email protected]) by September 2, 2018.

Homework

mailto:[email protected]

Maryland Bay Conditions

Tom Parham

Maryland DNR

8/13/2018

1

Salinity Conditions

• Above average rains from May through early August resulting in prolonged, lower than average Bay salinities.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecSource: NOAA

Washington DC Rainfall (2018)

2

Typical July Bay Salinity

4

Oxygen Conditions

• Recent winds (July 21st and on) have mixed Bay and re-oxygenated waters from surface down to over 30 feet deep.

• However, June conditions more typical with adequate oxygen in many areas down to 20 feet or less.

6

For Current Bay Conditions

Visit Click Before you Cast (Eyes on the Bay)

• Weekly forecast of fishing related Bay conditions

• Uses current monitoring information

• Maps and tools to identify depth of low oxygen, temperature breaks, salinity and flow conditions, algal bloom locations, bottom habitat locations, satellite pics

8

recommended 4th large scale restoration...1. side scan sonar bottom survey –potential bottom...

Documents