Covering Delmarva, Chesapeake Bay and the Virginia Tidewater

Army Corps no longer maintaining 

shallow water channels

It looks like recreational mariners in Maryland will have to look for a shallow draft boat when making purchasing decisions in the future. During this year’s General Assembly session in Annapolis, Bob Gaudette, Director of Boating Services for the Department of Natural Resources, told the Anne Arundel County House delegation that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is “no longer going to maintain shallow water channels” in Maryland. According to Gaudette, The Corps will now only dredge channels used for commercial traffic.

A scene from Canal Day in Chesapeake City, Maryland

The change is necessary due to funding inadequacies and could have a major impact on the boating industry, especially in Anne Arundel County which has 57 of Maryland’s 265 dredged boating channels, the most of any county. Other well-traveled channels at places like the Kent Narrows and Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore are already behind schedule.

Maryland has been paying The Corps to do some dredge work out of the Waterway Improvement Fund, a special fund financed by a five percent excise tax on the sale of boats, but the recreational boating industry has declined during the recession and the money in the fund has fallen precipitously. On top of that, Governor Martin O’Malley has proposed transferring $2.6 million out of the waterway fund to use for other programs.

At the time of this writing, state bond bills in the works include about $7.5 million to help finance the waterway fund. Whether or not that money makes it through the budget process remains to be seen. You also have to wonder if using a credit card to fix the problem is the right course to follow. It looks more and more as if local jurisdictions that rely on boating activity to drive their economy are going to have to find ways to pay for the dredging themselves.

Season opener

Boating season on the Bay unofficially gets its start each year with the Bay Bridge Boat Show in April, held near Stevensville, Maryland. Over 250 boats are expected to be in the water and on the land during this year’s show, which runs April 19-22.

Boat varieties will run from kayaks to luxury cruisers. Vendors will also display accessories and gear, and offer services like insurance and service plans. Seminars from boating veterans will focus on cruising the Chesapeake and beyond. Special exhibitors will include the Kent Narrows Racing Association and the Antique & Classic Boat Society. Find out more at usboat.com.