Home Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC), Grasonville, MD

Connect with Us

Floating Islands Poll

What are the biggest hurdles to implementing innovative new technologies like BioHaven® Floating wetlands?
 

Subscribe

Are you interested in getting updates on our environmental restoration efforts, current projects and environmental topics? Simply enter your information and we will email you periodic updates.

Name:

Email:

Speakers

Are you interested in having BlueWing talk to your group, company or organization?
If so, please contact us.

 

 

Algae in pond outside of visitors center at CBEC

Project Name: Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) Visitors Center Pond

Project Location: Grasonville, Maryland

Date of Installation: May 2008

Why are the islands needed?

The pond near visitors center choked with blue-green and filamentous algae along with duckweed, little aquatic life in and around pond.

 

Project Details:

Through its CBEC in Grasonville, the Wildfowl Trust of North America, Inc. promotes environmental stewardship and sustainability through education, research, restoration and conservation. In 2004, Governor Ehrlich designated CBEC as Maryland's restoration-demonstration site with the premise that federal, state, county private sector and other NGO's utilize the site to conduct research or test restoration practices that lead to the best large scale, bay wide restoration efforts. The property itself has 6 separate - Y2 acre, algae choked ponds due to 10 years of excess nutrient loading from the captive waterfowl program that was discontinued in 2003. CBEC is now left with the task of restoring these man-made ponds which currently are devoid of healthy aquatic communities. These ponds have the potential to showcase the best in habitat restoration and water quality improvement by demonstrating the use of innovative technologies such as the "floating island wetlands". Phase I of the project involved the installation of a single 64 square foot island (donated by BlueWing) in the pond closest to the visitors center to provide a real example of what the islands look like and how they perform. Phase II of the project involves solicitation of grant money to provide 400 sf of islands or more in each of the 6 ponds on-site.

Launch Pictures