The Oyster Recovery Partnership has a unique oyster planting project taking place right here in our own backyard that needs your support. As you may know, oysters are critical to the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem because they clean our waters and provide important habitats for marine life. In fact, one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day!
The Severn watershed drains densely-developed suburban communities, two major highway systems and the city of Annapolis. We are experiencing erosion, habitat loss, degraded water quality, and are often apprehensive to swim in our own river. The good news is that things are beginning to turn around. Anne Arundel County is working hard to restore local waterways with an expansive suite of projects that tackle wastewater and stormwater pollution. What we need now, are more water-filtering oysters to repair the river from within.
In July, 40 million juvenile oysters will be planted between the Severn River and Naval Academy bridges as part of a state-funded oyster reef project. But efforts don’t have to end there. This effort presents a unique opportunity for residents, businesses and organizations within the Severn River’s critical watershed area to do even more.
The Severn River Association and Oyster Recovery Partnership are asking residents to consider purchasing bushels of oysters to be loaded on the boat for planting in the Severn River, with the goal of planting an additional 10 million oysters. Each bushel contains approximately 2,600 young oysters that will grow, reproduce and help clean the river.
For more information and to donate, visit https://oysterrecovery.org/buildareef/
