Creek & Bayside Area

Maintain existing vegetation and plant new trees and shrubs on shorelines or streambanks to minimize erosion. For streambanks, choose willow, alder, blackberry and other native trees and shrubs whenever possible; for shorelines and marsh zones try native beachgrasses, cordgrass or pickleweed. Each of these species lives in a special zone along the shoreline influenced by tides and runoff, so you'll need expert advice on what to plant. Do not clear trees and shrubs from stream banks and lake shores. Instead, provide a limited number of stabilized and maintained access points. Replant areas where woody vegetation has been removed or mowed down.
Plant native trees, especially near water bodies. Native tree species help prevent excessive nutrient and pollutant runoff into the bays. Even when far from a water body, their roots reach well into the soil to tap and recycle groundwater. Trees also convert greenhouse gasses and clean pollutants and nutrients from the air. Atmospheric deposition accounts for one-third of the nitrogen inputs into the coastal bays.
Replace rough trails with steps down banks for water access.
For heavily eroding banks, get advice from your local Resource Conservation District of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service. Tell them you'd prefer to vegetation and other natural materials to protect and rebuild streambanks, rather than culverts and concrete riprap. They may be able to offer financial rewards.
Join neighbors and local government in developing an environmentally-sound approach to watershed management up and down your stream.
Participate in local bay or river cleanup. By extracting debris you can protect natural resources, learn what's out there and help your community feel better about itself. Clear streams, creeks and sloughs of litter, debris and obstructions (natural woodfall can be beneficial if it doesn't exacerbate flooding).
Let geese and ducks fend for themselves. By feeding Canada geese, mallards and hybrids you are hurting less common species struggling to compete. This upsets nature's balance and can foul waterways when out-of-control species degrade water quality with excessive guano.

Part of the National Estuary Program,
the Maryland Coastal Bays Program is a partnership among the towns of Ocean City and Berlin, National Park Service, Worcester County, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maryland Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Environment, and Planning, who have come together to produce the first ever management plan for the coastal bays.

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Questions? Email: mcbp@mdcoastalbays.org