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Contact us at
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- 2011 Oyster Spat Distribution
- We distributed 54 bags of oysters to 23 gardeners in September. We also received over 2000 oysters from gardeners who did not return in June.
- The final CBF osyter gardening workshop is on October 5, so there is stilltime, but you must register. Go CBF for details.
- Spring 2011 Oyster Return
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Our return day this year was Sunday June 5.
We have collected over 10,000 oysters from 19 gardeners so far. This is the lowest total since 2007. The
oysters are small, but with not a lot of mortality. The low count is
partly due to a below average spat handout and possibly the cold
winter. Because the salinity plummeted in early May, just when the
water temperature was coming up, the oysters did not grow much this spring.
What we saw locally is very similar to what has been seen at all the
CBF returns so far.
You should have also received an e-mail from Meghan Hoffman at CBF about their oyster returns on June 13-16.
They will be collecting oysters at the Annapolis City Dock on June 13.
New this year is a collection at the Severn Inn on June 14.
All CBF events will be from 3:00 - 6:30. (I am attaching the CBF flyer or see cbf.org/oysters )
As usual, you are welcome to take your oysters there; they will still be planted in the West River.
As you can see, there are numerous opportunities to return your oysters. If you cannot come to any of them, you can contact me at
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- How are our oysters doing?
- We recently sampled both POWeR sites and find some mortality but also a lot of large oysters.
There is some silting on the outer edges of the reef sites. Some of the dead oyster shells contained fish with their eggs (Blenies, Naked Gobies).
So even after they die, the oysters are contributing to the ecology. Here are pictures of this year's sampling by Steve and DJ.
- Water Quality in the West and Rhode Rivers
- In July 2007 the West and Rhode Riverkeeper began a program of sampling the water quality in the two rivers every week on Wednesday
through the end of October. Sampling has begun since 2008 in early May. There are now data available for three complete seasons and the
2007 partial season comprising measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO in mg/l), percent of saturation of dissolved oxygen (DO in %),
salinity (parts per thousand - ppt) and temperature. Measurements were taken one foot below the surface (top)
and one foot above the bottom (bottom) at a number of sites throughout the watershed.
The data have now been analyzed and you can read the report here.
The data used here can be seen on the Water Quality Monitoring section of the riverkeeper website at westrhoderiverkeeper.org.
- Not yet an oyster gardener?
- Workshops are held in the fall (due to the availability of spat).
Here is information on how to become a gardener.
To sign up to become an oyster gardener in the 2011 season, contact Meghan Hoffman at CBF
at MDoystergardening@cbf.org
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 The West River Improvment Association,
(WRIA), is dedicated to the principle that, by working together, residents of Galesville and the surrounding area can protect and improve the quality of life in
the community, including the West River watershed
The Shady Side Peninsula Association,
is the association of citizens' groups and communities on the Shady Side Peninsula
Citizens in the West River community are establishing individual oyster gardens with guidance from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
to provide new one-year old oysters to the santuaries in the coming years.
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