NOVEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER The latest news and updates from DIPP |
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Dear Deal Island Peninsula Partners, Happy Thanksgiving! Below are the latest DIPP updates, including details about the Deal Island Shoreline Project and Ditch Assessment. While the shoreline project permitting approvals remain in progress, we have been assured that things are moving forward behind the scenes. We hope to have more updates to share with you on the construction timeline next month. We are gearing up for a busy December, with two DIPP discussions on the evenings of December 12th and 17th. We hope you'll join us for one or both of them! The December 12th meeting will be critical in helping to define DIPP's future direction. We encourage all who are interested in seeing DIPP move forward to come out for the discussion. Join us on the 17th to learn more about the preliminary findings and recommendations from the Dames Quarter and Oriole Ditch Drainage Assessment report and to share your thoughts and feedback. Details about both events can be found below, as well as updates and announcements from a few of our partners. Please get in touch (dealislandpeninsulaproject@gmail.com) if you have any questions or concerns. In the spirit of giving thanks, thank you for your continued support and participation in this important partnership. Wishing you a warm and happy holiday! Sincerely,
Liz Van Dolah DIPP Coordinator |
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The Deal Island Shoreline Project |
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DNR and the County continue to await MDE permit approvals, but still anticipate that these will be granted by the end of the year. In the meantime, they are drafting a contract for the construction phase. Before construction can begin, this contract will need to be approved by the Board of Public Works, which will be reviewing it early in the new year. |
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DNR research staff has completed another round of pre-construction monitoring of the physical and biological shoreline conditions. This monitoring is being conducted to help DNR measure how effective the project will be in restoring the shoreline. They plan to carry out additional monitoring post-construction as part of this effort. Insights will provide important information for future living shoreline project implementation. In addition to DNR's monitoring work, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and George Mason University recently released a video highlighting their wave attenuation study, which was conducted earlier this year to explore how effective the adjacent marsh is in reducing wave energy that can cause flooding in neighboring upland areas. |
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Ditch Drainage Assessment Report |
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Somerset County has received a draft of the ditch drainage assessment report from AMT Engineering and is currently reviewing and working with the consultant to make necessary changes. The assessment was carried out to better understand causes of ditch overflow in the Oriole and Dames Quarter areas, and to provide recommendations to the County on how to improve drainage. Join us for a Community Conversation on Tuesday, December 17th, 6:30-8pm at the Rock Creek Church Hall to learn more about the report's preliminary findings with Kristen Tremblay, Assistant Director from Somerset County's Office of Planning and Zoning. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and provide input on some potential next steps to address ongoing ditch drainage concerns. |
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Event Details When: Tuesday, Dec. 17th, 6:30-8pm Where: Rock Creek Church Hall in Chance What: Learn about the Ditch Drainage Assessment Report's preliminary findings and join the discussion about next steps. Light Refreshments will be provided RSVP: please email or call Liz (dealislandpeninsulaproject@gmail.com; 843-708-1890) by Friday, December 13th. Please include "Ditch Assessment" in the subject line. |
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Save the Date! Join Us for an Upcoming DIPP Strategic Planning Discussion |
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DIPP is at a critical juncture in defining the Partnership's future direction, and we need local input to guide us forward. Please join us for a discussion about our various needs and goals for DIPP as we continue defining a strategic plan for the next five years. |
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Who should attend? Anyone who would like to see DIPP continue forward! Have ideas about what the partnership should focus on? Want to get more involved in leading DIPP's future work? Come share your thoughts and ideas! Where: The Farmhouse Conference Rm, 11359 Hodson White Rd, Dames Quarter When: Thurs., Dec 12th, 6:30-8:00 Light Refreshments will be provided. RSVP: please email or call Liz (dealislandpeninsulaproject@gmail.com; 843-708-1890) by Tuesday, December 10th. Please include "Strategic Planning Discussion" in the subject line. |
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Notes from the Marsh: Update from the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve at Monie Bay |
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The DNR/CBNERR-MD research staff completed their annual long term monitoring at Monie Bay for the year, including discrete water quality monitoring and Surface Elevation Table monitoring. Discrete water quality is conducted every month, April through October at Monie Bay. Staff compare data over the course of the year, and to previous years to track changes in water quality in Monie Bay. Photo Caption: CBNERR Staff install a Surface Elevation Table (SET) in the Monie Bay marshes, one of seven installed as part of monitoring efforts to measure marsh elevation changes overtime. |
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Additionally, staff monitor marsh elevation with Surface Elevation Tables (SETs), which record millimeter-level changes in marsh elevation in the tidal wetlands of Monie Bay. In November, CBNERR installed 7 more SETs to track these changes, and we will begin monitoring them in 2020. Three more SETs are scheduled to be installed after the winter is over. These SETs allow the Monie Bay Reserve to function as a long term "Sentinel Site" tracking marsh health over time. When measured along with wetland vegetation, we gain insights into how plants in the marsh change as the marsh gains or loses elevation, and as flooding increases. |
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Showcasing DIPP on the National Stage CBNERR staff highlighted DIPP at the annual National Estuarine Research Reserve conference, hosted November 18-21 in Charleston, SC. Staff shared the Deal Island Shoreline Project as an example of how Maryland is channeling state funding through the state's new "Resiliency through Restoration" grant program to support both human and environmental needs in the face of changing shoreline dynamics. They also demonstrated techniques used in CBNERR's Shoring Up Resilience through Education (SURE) program to engage local students in resiliency discussions. Lastly, they distributed a collaborative learning guide that was developed to demonstrate to program managers and outreach specialists how DIPP has used collaborative learning to incorporate local, scientific, and faith-based perspectives in defining shared resiliency goals. To access the guide, click here. |
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Photo Caption: Students who participated in the SURE program place coins on places around the Peninsula that they deemed important to protect as part of group discussions about what should be prioritized from adaptation projects. CBNERR Staff offered conference participants a chance to practice this valuation game and to learn about the important community and heritage sites around the Deal Island Peninsula. |
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5th Annual Deal Island Community Thanksgiving Dinner: Come out to the Deal Island-Chance Fire Hall on Thanksgiving Day (2-4pm) for a wonderful celebration of fellowship and giving! This event is FREE to all communities members. Sponsored by Skipjack Run and fully supported by community volunteers and donations. If you would prefer to spend Thanksgiving in your own home, please consider baking an extra pie, casserole, or turkey to donate to the event. Dinner will be first come, first serve. Additional details are available here. |
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