The Poplar Island Restoration Project

Speaker: Julia Moya, Senior Environmental Specialist, Maryland Environmental Service  

Begin the New Year with one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most remarkable stories of ecological innovation. The Poplar Island Restoration Project emerged from an interagency partnership led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA), working alongside Federal and State environmental agencies. Recognizing the environmental value of restoring lost island habitat, the team solicited extensive input from local communities, businesses, and environmental organizations through the Environmental Impact Statement process. 

Their solution was groundbreaking: use dredged material from the Port of Baltimore’s navigational channels to rebuild Poplar Island to its approximate 1847 footprint. After the first material was placed in 2001, wildlife quickly returned—ospreys, egrets, terns, herons, eagles, terrapins, and more. Early restoration efforts focused on creating wetlands that naturally filter water and restore critical habitat for birds, crabs, fish, and shellfish. Today, the project exemplifies large-scale engineering, environmental stewardship, and the ongoing revitalization of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.