Rock Hall Channel Dredging is Complete

     Rock Hall, Md. -- The entrance to Rock Hall Harbor is now straighter and deeper allowing boaters easier and safer access to the area's many restaurants, marinas and marine related services.

     “The measures taken will certainly provide for safe passage in and out of our harbor, as navigating the entrance was becoming very treacherous at times,” said Rock Hall Mayor Bob Willis. “Our local economy will see a gain from this action and during these uncertain economic times, it surely is needed.”

     The Kent County Department of Public Works contracted with Dissen & Juhn Corporation based in Stevensville, Maryland, for the dredging. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Boating Services provided technical assistance and funding. Approximately 6,400-cubic yards of silt and clay was removed from the entrance of Rock Hall Harbor and transported in watertight trucks to an existing dredge material placement site approximately seven miles from the town. The project, completed June 5, took a little over a month.

     The channel is now a minimum of seven feet deep at low tide and has been realigned to follow a straight, Coast Guard-marked channel. It is expected that the new, straight alignment will better flush the harbor, slowing the deposit of silt and allowing the channel to stay navigable for a longer period of time. The channel was previously angled to the west, causing sand to frequently fill the channel from the northwest side.

     “Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly strongly support waterway improvement projects like this one, that benefit the local community, help to create jobs and improve the quality of life for our citizens,” said Lisa Gutierrez, acting director of DNR Boating Services.

     Project funding was provided through a State Waterway Improvement Fund grant of $230,663. Revenue for the fund comes from the one time, five-percent excise tax, paid when a boat is purchased and titled in Maryland. The State Waterway Improvement Program has funded more than 4,500 grant projects valued in excess of $300 million in the development of over 300 public boating access sites statewide.

Maryland NRP Celebrates National Safe Boating Week

     Annapolis, Md. -- The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and local boat insurance provider, Jack Martin/Avon-Dixon, encourage the public to join them in wearing a lifejacket to work on Friday, May 18. The state initiative kicks off National Safe Boating Week, May 19 to 23, by raising awareness on the importance of these life saving devices.

     “The simple act of wearing a lifejacket could mean the difference between life and death during a boating accident,” said NRP Superintendent Colonel George F. Johnson IV. “If we can prevent one fatality on Maryland waterways by reminding the public to wear a lifejacket, we have accomplished our goal.”

     By encouraging everyone to wear a lifejacket in a non-typical setting, such as at work, NRP hopes to heighten public awareness and foster discussion on the importance of boating safety.

     Last year alone, Maryland had 24 boating deaths- nearly double the ten year average of 13. Nationwide, approximately 75 to 80 percent of boating deaths are due to drowning, many of which could have been prevented with the use of a life jacket.

     “We are pleased to have the opportunity to team up with the Natural Resources Police for this cause,” said Jon Horton of Jack Martin/Avon-Dixon. “We feel that this is a great way to remind everyone just how important these devices are. It has also been educational experience for all of us, giving our office a forum to discuss the different makes and models of lifejackets that each of us brought to work.”

     Jack Martin/Avon-Dixon and NRP will hold free, boating-safety vessel inspections at the following locations:
Newcomb, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 20 at the Oak Creek Boat Ramp
Stevensville, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2 at the Matapeake Fishing Pier

     NRP and the Minor league Baseball team, the Bowie Baysox, will host Stay Safe on the Bay with the Baysox at the team’s May 24 home game at 7 p.m. NRP’s Boating Safety Unit, Color Guard and mascot, PFD Panda will be on hand to the share their boating safety message. NRP and the Coast Guard will also be at City Dock in Annapolis with displays and demonstrations raising awareness on safe boating in Maryland’s waterways on May 26.

     For more information on Maryland Boating Safety visit dnr.maryland.gov/boating/safety.