Neeld Estate. . .
Charm of the Chesapeake

Update on DNR and the Hydraulic Clam Dredgers

The Plum Point Oyster Sanctuary runs parallel to our shore from Camp Roosevelt to Dares Beach covering over 6,000 acres. Last year clam dredgers dredged razor clams from May to October with very little patrolling by MD DNR. We had one officer for the county and they answer calls for everything from roadside deer poachers to washed up paddle boards. They were very understaffed.

This year we have a new officer. Officer Lopez. She has two officers helping her. She was unaware of last years issues with the dredgers working in and around the sanctuary which is off limits to dredge boats.

Hydraulic clam dredging is very destructive to the bay’s bottom, destroying any grasses and sending silt in huge plumes that can suffocate oysters. It is also not sustainably managed. Clam dredging, where legal, is allowed year round, seven days a week, sun up to sun down, no limit on catch, and no limit to how loud the boats can be and they are really loud!

Our sanctuary boundary begins just offshore and is poorly marked by moving markers that have not been reset in years. The boats are not allowed to dredge beyond the boundary markers. Other sanctuary boundaries run to the shore line but ours does not. This seems to be a loophole for a free for all for these boats that mostly come from the Eastern Shore where most of their clams are depleted and they are finally enforcing the new SAV (sub aquatic vegetation) zone boundaries.

MDE is going to be resetting the markers and adding new ones. If you have one as a lawn ornament and would like to give it back please let me or Officer Lopez know. They will not just go around taking them.

Officer Lopez has been patrolling and warning the boats but they continue to return and leave when they see the DNR boat leaving the marina. She would appreciate photos and videos if they prove the boat is dredging the sanctuary. That is difficult without markers in the picture. Drones are useful, especially in the case of the photo of a boat making a silt plume. Those photos are useful for showing legislators and the public an example of the environmental destruction.

There are many great and honest watermen out there and being the seafood lover I am, I appreciate them very much. However, crabs, rays and other wildlife feed on the clams and when the clams disappear so do they. It’s happened over and over in other parts of the bay.

If you want to report-

DNR Dispatch 410-295-4663

Our local officer-

Officer Lopez cell 914-912-6938

If you want to let DNR know your thoughts, please call the MD DNR Program Shellfish Division director

Chris Judy 410-260-8259

It would be great if you want to share this with friends in the other communities that are along the shore.

Thank you!

Lisa Collins

Neeld Estate 1st Annual

House Decorating Contest

July 2020

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And the winners are:

1st Place - Brandi & Keith

2nd Place - Eve & Glynn

3rd Place - Brett & Maryanne
 

CONGRATULATIONS

Miscellaneous Photos

Sea Nettles Probability of Encounters (Experimental)

The jellyfish often encountered in the Chesapeake Bay in the summer is the sea nettle Chrysaora chesapeakei. Knowing where and when to expect this biotic nuisance may help to alleviate an unpleasant encounter.

Unless you are in a dark purple region you may encounter your first sea nettle of 2020, unless you already have. I use this map frequently so I know whether or not I can afford to fall off the paddle board! It’s updated daily. I’ve noticed that in onshore breezes, they swim away from the shore.

OCEAN.WEATHER.GOV

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Neeld Estate 60's Beach Party

NECA PHOTOS

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Attention Dog Walkers:
"If your dog leaves it. . . Please Retrieve it"  SCOOP the POOP - It's A Law
Help keep our pets from polluting the Bay.  Pet Waste

is one of the major contributors to Bay pollution.  The "Mutt Mitt" Doggie Bag Dispensers have been installed, one at each of the main entrances to the beach. Hopefully this will encourage all dog walkers to pick up after their pets.