The Army Corps of Engineers plans to build new dredge spoil islands in the mid-Bay. These islands, like Poplar Island, would provide a environmentally sound place to place the dredged material, and create new wildlife habitat. In addition, they could provide new places to camp and fish on the bay.
Nationwide, the Army Corps of Engineers is the largest federal provider of water-based recreation. It is responsible for managing 56,000 miles of shoreline, 420 lakes in 43 states, 4,300 recreation areas, 90,000 campsites, and 3,500 boat ramps, among other recreational facilities. Of the 4,300 recreation sites, about half are run by county, city, and state partners and half are managed by the Corps. It is estimated that 25 million individuals visit a Corps project at least once each year.
In this region, the Corps operates the Jennings Randolph Lake recreation area in western Maryland and West Virginia, and Raystown Lake in Pennsylvania.
We'd like to see more such facilities and are working on proposals to make it happen.