The Coastal Bays Program has completed its long-awaited Boaters Guide to the Coastal Bays.

The map was developed in response to a 2000 coastal bays boating survey which suggested boaters wanted and needed better information for their trips in the coastal bays.

On one side, the 34" X 21" guide displays a map of the northern coastal bays from the Verrazano Bridge at Assateague to 125th Street and includes seagrass areas, boat ramps, shoaling areas, marinas, channel markers, clamming areas, boat-accessible restaurants, 6-knot zones, and off-limit zones for personal watercraft.

A chart at the bottom shows which marinas have a ramp, fuel, pump-out facilities, bait and whether they have made the Maryland Clean Marina pledge.

The other side includes tips on areas to avoid, boating and Jet ski laws, fishing facts, a hypothermia chart, marker explanations, a sunset table, phone numbers and information on keeping boating trips as low impact as possible.

It also provides information on water quality, on keeping canals clean, and on important considerations when choosing a boat for recreation in the coastal bays. Details on how to get a free boat inspection are described next to the panel on how and where to catch coastal bays fish.

The project cost $12,000 with Maryland DNR putting in $10,000 of the funding through a NOAA grant. Some 6,000 guides have been distributed at more than 30 local tackle shops, marinas, boat clubs and boat ramps. The MD Natural Resources Police and US Coast Guard Auxiliary will hand out the guides during inspections, stops, and boating safety courses. As part of the Coastal Bays Navigation and Dredging Advisory Group, both entities played an integral role in helping to shape and produce the guide along with local captains, marina owners and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The map side of the publication is designed to help orient boaters only and should not be used for navigation.

Anyone can obtain a guide free by stopping at their local tackle shop or marina or by dropping by the Maryland Coastal Bays Program office across from the Greene Turtle on MD 611. Marina and tackle shop owners who have not received the guides should contact Dave Wilson at the Maryland Coastal Bays Program office at 410-213-2297 or email outreach@mdcoastalbays.org.

Delmarva Low Impact Tourism supplemented the Maryland Coastal Bays Program funding for the project.

Part of the National Estuary Program, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program is a cooperative effort between Worcester County, Berlin, and Ocean City which have come together to produce the first ever management plan for their bays. Home    |    About Us    |    Contact Us    |    Site Directory Copyright 2003 - Maryland Coastal Bays Program Questions? Email: mcbp@mdcoastalbays.org