The mound of oyster shells rose 20 feet above the deck of a 72-foot barge Wednesday afternoon, ready to plunge into the depths of the Severn River. As it positioned itself in the waters off Chinks Point, the oyster-planting barge Robert Lee opened its side rails and pumped hundreds of thousands of oyster shells covered in millions of thumbprint-sized juvenile oysters into the river with a high-powered hose, a process known as “washing.” GPS trackers attached to some of the shells ensure they are landing in the right locations to take root on the reef below.
Annapolis environmental partnership continues oyster restoration by planting millions of shells in Severn River
July 15, 2022