Natural Resources News
Secretary’s Message – Spend Fall Afield in Maryland
Sec. Josh Kurtz bagged a goose during a hunting trip in Maryland during the 2023 goose season. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The lush summer greenscape all around us is soon to give way to the glow of autumn. While we know warm weather will be lingering for some time, we can already feel the brisk breezes of fall in the evening air.
We are entering a great time to visit the majestic vistas of Maryland, walk in the comfortable cool of a forest path, spot the varied species of birds that inhabit our woods, and generally enjoy the change of seasons.
For many in Maryland, fall is the best time for hunting, a valued part of our state’s culture and heritage. The sport provides enjoyable outdoor recreation for participants, helps manage our wildlife populations, and creates economic benefits throughout Maryland. The major seasons begin in September with various migratory game bird hunts and the opening of archery hunting for deer. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – September 4
Jeremy Clark holds up a beautiful northern pike he caught in Deep Creek Lake. Photo by James Clark
Glorious September is here, and although summer will sweep her hand across Maryland a few times before it is all over, we can all look forward to more comfortable weather. Water temperatures will begin to cool also and fishing in general will shift into high gear.
Maryland 2024 Black Bear Hunt Lottery Results Announced
Photo by by Nathaniel Peck, submitted to the Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has drawn the lottery for the 2024 Maryland Black Bear Hunt.
A total of 950 lottery entrants were randomly selected and will receive a permit valid for the six-day bear hunting season open from October 21-26, 2024 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. Entrants can check the lottery results webpage for their DNR ID number. Read more…
Spanish-Language Outreach on Safety and Stewardship Expands Access, Earns National Recognition
“Splash” the water safety dog joins a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Sandy Point State Park. Maryland DNR photo.
For many years, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognized a disparity in relating laws, regulations, and safety information to one of the fastest-growing communities enjoying the outdoors. Spanish-speaking residents faced multiple barriers to access at the parks, particularly with customer service and community programming.
In 2016, DNR launched its program, Es Mi Parque – Spanish for “It’s My Park” – to better connect the Maryland Park Service to visitors of Hispanic descent, and for Natural Resources Police to more effectively communicate with an important constituency. The department has also created a full Spanish version of its online licensing system.
And today, Maryland is recognized as one of the first states in the country to produce its boating regulations in both English and Spanish.
“It’s important to reach all of our cultural communities in Maryland when it comes to boating safety,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said. “Our agency has made it a priority to effectively engage with our Spanish-speaking population, and our outreach continues to provide a wealth of information to the Hispanic and Latino community interested in safely enjoying our state’s natural resources.”
Montgomery County Angler Catches First Maryland State Record Yellowedge Grouper
The 38.0-pound grouper caught in the Atlantic Ocean is only 10 pounds short of the world record.
Jian Feng Li, center, caught the new Maryland state record yellowedge grouper from an Ocean City charter boat. Photo by Gary Tyler, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognizes Jian Feng Li of Silver Spring as the first state record holder for yellowedge grouper (Caulolatilus microps) in the Atlantic division.
Li caught the 38.0-pound, 43-inch fish on August 27 while fishing in Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City. He was deep-dropping with false albacore strips for bait and was using a hand-cranked conventional reel. Read more…
Protecting the Chesapeake Bay, One Stream at a Time
Stream restoration projects like Cattail Creek offer multifaceted benefits to watersheds and ecosystems
The stream restoration at Cattail Creek uses rocks and plants to reinforce the stream channel. As their roots take hold, plants can help maintain the structure for the long term, DNR officials say. Photo by Joe Zimmermann/DNR
To Bob Royer, the heron that was stalking in the shallow water around a bend in Cattail Creek was a sign of promise.
For one thing, it meant there were fish. But together with the red-winged blackbirds overhead, the buzzing dragonflies, and the water celery that rippled in the stream’s current, the gangly waterbird looking for lunch was evidence of a natural system that was back to work.
“All it takes is little areas of reworking the landscape, and look what it wanted to be,” said Royer, the president of the Berrywood Community Association Environmental Committee. “It wanted to be a wetland.”
Read more…
Anne Arundel County Angler Catches Maryland State Record Blueline Tilefish
Record 20.6-pound fish reeled in from depths of Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City
Angler London J. Anthony (holding fish) caught this state record blueline tilefish off Ocean City. Photo courtesy London Anthony.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognizes London J. Anthony of Pasadena as a new state record holder for blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) in the Atlantic division.
Anthony caught the 20.6-pound, 37.25-inch fish on August 24 while fishing in Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City. He was deep-dropping with a cut ballyhoo chunk bait using a hand-cranked conventional reel. Read more…
Archery Deer Hunting in Maryland Opens September 6
Bowhunting opportunities continue into February
Photo by Mary Pat Bozel, submitted to the 2021 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will open the archery hunting season for white-tailed and sika deer on Sept. 6. The season runs intermittently through Jan. 31, 2025.
Archers may use vertical longbows and vertical recurve bows Feb. 1 and Feb. 3-4, 2025 during the third annual Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Hunters should consult the 2024-2025 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping for specific dates and closures in their region. Read more…
Board of Public Works Approves More Than $10.6 Million for Park Improvements and Land Conservation
Funding approved for several DNR programs
Deer Creek Rural Legacy Area in Harford County. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Board of Public Works on Aug. 28 approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling more than $10.6 million in grants to local governments and land trusts to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – August 28
Hopefully, all our crabbers are as lucky as John Turrall and catch a mess of jumbo hard crabs that are large and full of meat. Photo by Rich Watts
Labor Day is upon us and September is on the horizon, promising cooler weather and excellent fishing and crabbing. There will be many crab feasts scheduled for families and friends across Maryland this weekend and recreational crabbers will go out on the water to provide the crabs.
Governor Moore Honors Rural Legacy Program for 25 Years of Conservation Success
More than 125,000 acres permanently preserved throughout Maryland
Photo by Patrick Siebert, Maryland Office of the Governor
Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program is celebrating 25 years of active land preservation across the state this year. Since its inception, the program and its partners have protected more than 125,000 acres of ecologically valuable properties, productive farms, and forests, representing a public investment of more than $405 million.
In recognition of this milestone, Governor Wes Moore presented a Citation to Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz during today’s Board of Public Works meeting. Read more…
Maryland’s Outdoor Learning Partnership Accepting Applications for Representatives
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland State Department of Education are accepting member applications to participate as representatives in the Maryland Outdoor Learning Partnership.
Established by Governor Wes Moore’s Executive Order on April 22, 2024, the Outdoor Learning Partnership is a new interagency collaboration that includes state agencies, federal partners, nonprofit environmental and outdoor education organizations, and formal education partners.
The Partnership, which absorbed the former Project Green Classrooms program, is charged with empowering all of Maryland’s youth to grow as environmental stewards that access, conserve, and restore our natural resources to ensure a climate-ready Maryland. Read more…
Maryland Agriculture, Natural Resources Secretaries Make Stop on Ice Cream Trail after Hike
Trip highlights opportunities to enjoy farm-fresh Maryland ice cream after hiking at a state park or natural resource management area
Secretary Atticks and Secretary Kurtz hike the trail at Monocacy Natural Resources Area. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
Today, Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz visited Rocky Point Creamery in Tuscarora after hiking a trail at the Monocacy Natural Resources Management Area in Dickerson as part of an end-of-summer event to highlight the Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail.
The Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail is designed to promote the state’s dairy industry by linking consumers with local on farm creameries using Maryland made ingredients. This year the Department of Agriculture partnered with the Department of Natural Resources to highlight hikes located near Ice Cream Trail stops.
Maryland’s Greenspace Equity Program Funds Outdoor Access for Communities in Need
Maryland DNR photo
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has launched the new Greenspace Equity Program, which provides grant funding to land trusts, nongovernmental organizations, and local governments to acquire and develop public greenspaces in overburdened and underserved communities. Applications are being accepted through Nov. 1.
The goal of the program is to enhance the public health and livability of overburdened and underserved communities by implementing projects to preserve, create, and improve public greenspace in those communities. Read more…
Chesapeake Bay Hypoxia Report – Early Summer 2024
Dissolved oxygen conditions show improvement in late June and July
Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University show a higher than average volume of hypoxia—waters with less than 2 mg/l oxygen—in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia in early June, that improved to less than average size in late June though late July. Read more…
Natural Resources Come Alive at the 2024 Maryland State Fair
Fairgoers can look for signs like this one, pointing to the Maryland DNR exhibit hall at Miller-Mosner Building. Photo by Dawn Webb/Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and partners will bring displays, exhibits, and fun activities about blue catfish, campsites, hunting, and more to the Maryland State Fair in Timonium.
Fairgoers are invited to visit the exhibits located inside the Mosner Miller Building at the fairgrounds to engage with field experts and learn more about fishing, hunting, wildlife, and recreational opportunities in Maryland’s state forests, parks, and other public lands. Read more…
Maryland NRP Officers Recognized for Enforcement of Impaired Boating Laws
The Operation Dry Water Awards Program recognizes law enforcement officers and agencies that are making a positive impact on boating under the influence. Maryland DNR photo.
Two Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers are nominated by department leadership for national recognition for their work enforcing impaired boating laws this summer.
During Independence Day weekend, Natural Resources Police took part in the national Operation Dry Water heightened enforcement effort. From July 4-6, NRP officers made nine Operating While Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) arrests and responded to nine boating accidents.
Maryland Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons Begin for 2024-2025
Mourning dove, early resident Canada goose seasons start Sept. 2
Photo by Ellen Mooney, submitted to the Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the state’s 2024-2025 migratory game bird hunting seasons, the first of which begin Sept. 2. Bag limits, season dates, and shooting hours can be found in the 2024-2025 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – August 21
James Crosby got a little help from his friends during his battle with this huge bigeye tuna. Photo courtesy of James Crosby.
Fishing is always better in the company of family or friends, and when an angler is successful and has their friends to cheer them on and offer encouragement it makes all the difference when battling a fish of mammoth proportions.
Public Asked to Report Marine Mammal and Turtle Sightings and Strandings Online or by Phone
Hotline or online form available; reports contribute data to marine science
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources asks residents and visitors enjoying coastal and tidal waterways to remain alert for marine mammals and sea turtles through the end of summer and early fall. Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, whales, and other marine wildlife are regular seasonal visitors to the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, the Atlantic Ocean, and coastal bays.
Anyone who sees a marine mammal or sea turtle in Maryland waters is encouraged to report it via the Maryland Natural Resources Police Hotline, 800-628-9944, or use a simple online form to report deceased marine mammals or sea turtles. Anglers, boaters, and beachgoers should especially be on the lookout for stranded, dead, sick, injured, or entangled animals. Read more…
Maryland DNR Extends Photo Contest Deadline to August 26
Contest features higher cash prizes for first place winners
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is extending the deadline for submission to its 2024 Maryland Natural Resource Photo Contest. Photographers have until 5 p.m. on Aug. 26 to enter their photos into competition for cash prizes, State Park passes, and publication in DNR’s 2025 nature calendar.
The contest is judged by season: winter, spring, summer, and fall. First, second, and third place winners are selected for each seasonal category. A grand prize winner is selected from that group. The 2025 photo contest features higher cash prizes this year – $700 for the grand prize winner, and $100 for each seasonal first place winner. All first place winners receive a one-year Maryland State Park and Trail Passport. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – August 14
Lincoln Giordano was getting some fishing lessons from his grandfather recently when he caught two white perch on the same lure. It must have been a good lesson. Photo by Adam GiordanoThere is some very pleasant weather in the forecast, a relief from the heat we endured earlier this summer. Marylanders are making the most of what is left of summer with visiting relatives and especially grandparents.
Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries experienced unusually high tides last week, and the Conowingo Dam had several flood gates open. Conditions are beginning to return to more moderate flows but anglers fishing on the Bay and tidal rivers need to keep an extra watch for floating debris.
Maryland Stream Data Shows Hidden Effects of Management Practices
US Geological Survey study shows that management can have positive and negative impacts
DNR staff holds a bluegill during a stream survey. A new study looks at the effects management practices are having on fish and other stream life. DNR photo
Many management practices aim to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution entering the watershed, and a new study looked at what unintended effects these practices are having on Maryland streams.
The study, led by scientists with the United States Geological Survey using data from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Maryland Biological Stream Survey, assessed the effects that urban and agricultural management practices in the state could be having on the living things in streams, namely fish and benthic macroinvertebrates—aquatic animals including insect larvae and crustaceans. Read more…
New Hydrilla Infestation Detected at Deep Creek Lake
The location (in red) of hydrilla in the Meadow Mountain Cove area of Deep Creek Lake.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Maryland Park Service Lake Management Office at Deep Creek Lake has recently identified a new location of hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant, within Meadow Mountain Cove of the lake. This discovery is a significant concern as hydrilla poses a serious threat to the lake’s ecosystem by outcompeting native plant species and disrupting the natural balance of the environment.
Since 2014, the Lake Management Office has successfully eradicated hydrilla from all previously affected areas of Deep Creek Lake. The office remains committed to protecting the lake’s health and is already taking action to address this new infestation. The new site will receive an initial treatment and be incorporated into the ongoing management plan. While the first three treatment dates for 2024 have already passed, the next scheduled treatment is set for August 20. Further details regarding the management plan and treatment schedule will be shared with the public as soon as they are finalized. Read more…
Anglers Report Multiple Sightings of Tarpon in Maryland Waters of Chesapeake Bay
Usually associated with warmer areas, the legendary sport fish is a rare sight in the state
Blurry shapes just below the surface of the Chesapeake Bay, multiple tarpon school together in waters near Hoopers Island Lighthouse on Aug. 1. Credit: Tom Weaver
Scouting for red drum near the Hoopers Island Lighthouse on Aug. 1, Capt. Tom Weaver saw something roll in the flat, calm waters a couple hundred yards away.
He looked for the wake and followed a disturbance in the distance. When he got close and shut the motor off, he saw huge shapes under the water. The fish looked familiar—and Weaver soon realized he recognized them from his years fishing in the Florida Keys.
“When you run out of Annapolis, you don’t expect an hour and a half later to be running across a tarpon,” Weaver, who runs a charter business Fish With Weaver, said. “My brain took a few minutes to process.” Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – August 7
Angler Jerome Ries caught and released this 45.5″ Red Drum in the Chesapeake Bay.
Opportunity is often described as a favorable or promising combination of circumstances. This certainly describes what is available for anglers in Maryland this time of the year. Hot days and the cooling effects of water with the bonus of catching fish, it’s hard to get better than that.
Board of Public Works Approves $6 Million for Recreation and Land Preservation
Funding includes $4 million for the Rural Legacy Program as well as support for projects in Howard and Cecil counties
Nanticoke Rural Legacy Area, Dorchester County, contains a significant amount of the the state’s wetlands. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources requests for $6 million in funding to local governments and land trusts to preserve and protect land and provide recreational opportunities for Marylanders.
A total of $1.8 million in Program Open Space – Local funding was approved for five projects. These include a Cecil County project to provide pickleball courts at Brantwood Regional Park, and renovations of Howard County’s East Columbia Library Park, which includes basketball courts, fields and a playground. Program Open Space – Local provides funding for county and municipal governments for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreational land or facilities.
Secretary’s Message: We’re Making Progress on New Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy
DNR Sec. Josh Kurtz paddles a canoe at Tuckahoe State Park during a visit to the park in 2023.
It has been one year since Gov. Wes Moore announced that Maryland was shifting its Chesapeake Bay cleanup strategy to align with the latest science that recommends focusing water quality improvement efforts on increasing shallow water habitat and living resources, such as populations of fish and crabs.
At the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we’ve made significant strides during the past 12 months to shift from a strategy that I’ve often referred to as “restoration by opportunity” to a more directed approach that also prioritizes environmental co-benefits such as habitat creation, shoreline resilience, and climate change mitigation.
Monkton Angler becomes 12th FishMaryland Master Angler
Ben Halfpap, of Monkton, poses with a blue catfish he caught. Halfpap was the 12th person to become a Maryland Master Angler. Submitted Photo/ DNR
Ben Halfpap is first to nab all three invasive species in pursuit of designation
Ben Halfpap, of Monkton in Baltimore County, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten trophy-sized fish of different species in Maryland. Halfpap is the 12th Master Angler since the program began in 2019.
Natural Resources Police To Join National Night Out in Communities Across Maryland on Aug. 6
Maryland Natural Resources Police will participate in National Night Out activities in 17 counties across the state on August 6.
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers will visit communities throughout Maryland on Tuesday, Aug. 6 in support of National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign promoting partnerships between the police and the neighborhoods they serve.
The National Night Out campaign was established in 1984 and has grown to include more than a million community members in all 50 states. Maryland’s community events include block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts, and public safety demonstrations.
Maryland’s Oyster Fishery Experienced Robust Harvest in the 2023-2024 Season
Watermen harvested 430,000 bushels of Maryland oysters
A waterman harvests oysters in Fishing Bay, Dorchester County. Photo by William Whaley, winning entry in 2017 Maryland DNR Photo Contest (second place, winter category).
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources estimates that over 430,000 bushels of oysters were harvested commercially in Maryland from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. This was the fifth season in the past 30 years when the harvest surpassed 400,000 bushels. Read more…
Maryland Releases Habitat Connectivity Network Map
Clopper Lake in Seneca Creek State Park, photo by Chowdhury Shams, submitted to the 2021 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Chesapeake Conservancy recently partnered to produce an updated mapping of Maryland’s Habitat Connectivity Network.
The data improves the state’s understanding of where the most important natural habitat areas in the state are currently located, how these areas are connected, and how these areas have changed through the past two decades. Read more…
Maryland Conservation Corps Class of 2023-24 Graduates 39 Members
Members of the 2024 class of Maryland Conservation Corps graduates posed for a photo at the Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area during the graduation event on Aug. 1, 2024. Credit: Winn Brewer/ Maryland DNR
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources honored 39 members of the 2023-2024 Maryland Conservation Corps during their graduation program at Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area. The August 1 ceremony capped the members’ completion of 10 months of job training, conservation work, and stewardship with the Maryland Park Service. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – July 31
Claire Toth is all smiles with her first catch of white perch. Photo by Kevin Toth
The excitement of seeing a young angler catch their first fish is enough to warm the heart of anyone, much less a veteran angler. Bluegill sunfish and white perch often fit the bill for this first fishing adventure.
The Chesapeake Bay striped bass season reopens August 1, and although it is legal to fish for striped bass, anglers are urged to practice the most careful catch-and-release practices possible. Water temperatures are in the low 80s this week and low dissolved oxygen levels tend to be at cooler depths, making it difficult for fish to recover effectively. The Department of Natural Resources website provides a good overview of catch-and-release practices.
The Potomac River striped bass fishery (managed by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission) remains closed to recreational fishing through Aug. 20. Virginia waters of the Chesapeake Bay remain closed to recreational striped bass fishing through October 3 and the Virginia fall season opens on October 4.
Underwater Grasses Are Key to Chesapeake Bay Health
Underwater grasses in the Susquehanna Flats, which has seen considerable submerged aquatic vegetation growth in recent years. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
Across the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, below the water’s surface, ribbons of green sway in the current.
They are stems of pondweed, eelgrass, widgeon grass, stargrass, and a number of other species. Together they make up the underwater grasses that form a crucial habitat for Bay life, help clean the water, and mitigate effects of climate change.
For such fragile blades, the grasses carry a lot of weight in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, and Brooke Landry, program chief of Living Resource Assessment at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said underwater grasses are sometimes overlooked for their critical role.
Maryland Reports Steady Underwater Grass Abundance in Chesapeake Bay for 2023
Eelgrass (Zostera marina). Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
Underwater grass abundance–a key indicator of water quality and habitat–remained steady in 2023 in the state’s portion of Chesapeake Bay, reaching 37,770 acres, according to data released this week by the Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Overall, an estimated 82,937 acres of underwater grasses, also called submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), were distributed throughout Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries in 2023, a 7% increase over 2022 acreage.
In Maryland, all or part of four rivers surpassed their restoration goals. These include the Northeast River at 109%, the Upper Chester River at 432%, the Honga River at 138%, and the Wicomico River at 270%. An additional three segments reached 75 percent or more of their restoration goals, including the Northern Chesapeake Bay that encompasses the Susquehanna Flats at 86%, the Bush River at 83%, and Mattawoman Creek at 98% of their goals. Read more…
Maryland Budgets $47 Million to Expand and Enhance Access to Recreation and Open Space
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo
Governor Wes Moore’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes more than $47 million for local grants through Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Program Open Space and Community Parks and Playgrounds Program, to expand and enhance public access to recreation and open space throughout Maryland.
“Maryland is a leader in land conservation, and supporting these important programs is a high priority of the Moore-Miller Administration” said Maryland Department of natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “We will continue to work in partnership across all levels of government as well as with the nonprofit and private sectors to preserve our landscapes and provide access for all Marylanders to our state’s open space.” Read more…
Waterfowl Hunting Schedule Set for Deal Island and Fairmount WMA Impoundments
Canada geese at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area. Photo by Anthony Burrows, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has posted permit applications and the 2024-25 schedule for waterfowl hunting at Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Area (WMA) impoundments.
The schedule and permits are designed to reduce crowding and maintain the quality of waterfowl hunting opportunities during the regular duck season. At both locations, hunting is allowed only on the following days during the regular duck season: Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – July 24
Young Logan Ortel is all smiles with this large blue catfish he caught. Photo by Tim Ortel.
Maryland anglers are always able to adjust to conditions, if it involves catching fish. During the current striped bass closure in effect through July 31, many anglers are focusing on blue catfish. The action tends to be non-stop.
As a reminder to all Maryland anglers, please participate in the Department of Natural Resources Volunteer Angler Surveys. This allows citizen scientists to contribute valuable data to the monitoring and management of several important fish species.
Record $21.5 Million in Maryland Waterway Improvement Fund Awards go to Public Boating Access, Navigable Waterways, and Safety
Upgrades to Sweden Point Marina in Smallwood State Park are among the many projects funded for Fiscal Year 2025. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide $21.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund allocations to communities and projects throughout Maryland in Fiscal Year 2025, which began July 1.
The funds will support new and improved public boating access facilities, dredging of navigable public waterways; emergency vessels and equipment for local first responders; and other important infrastructure and initiatives. Read more…
Maryland Releases Whole Watershed Proposal Criteria
Criteria to help identify eligible watersheds for pilot restoration program
Little Blackwater River watershed in Dorchester County. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Maryland Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership has released a preliminary list of watershed criteria, along with available data sets, to aid local governments, non-governmental organizations and project sponsors to assess local watersheds for proposed restoration and funding.
The Whole Watershed Act (SB 969/HB 1165) establishes a highly collaborative, science-based approach to watershed restoration across the state to promote innovative, science-based solutions to waterway restoration efforts. The legislation will use existing state funds to create a new Whole Watershed Fund that will support a five-year pilot program targeting five Maryland watersheds that best represent the state’s diverse land uses, geographies, and impairments. Read more…
Looking at Maryland’s Stream Health Over Time, DNR Report Finds Mixed Results
Temperatures and non-native fish species have increased, while acidity has lessened
Maryland Biological Stream Survey staff conduct electrofishing in Frederick County. DNR photo
A Maryland Department of Natural Resources report found mixed results for the health of the state’s non-tidal streams, with some conditions getting better, others worse, and some remaining the same.
For this report on potential changes in stream conditions, the department’s Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) staff sampled hundreds of stream sites across the state, then compared what they found to data from those same sites 14 or 20 years earlier.
While the results highlight ongoing challenges for streams in the state, Scott Stranko, the department’s director of monitoring and nontidal assessment, said the report also demonstrates the importance and efficacy of work to protect Maryland’s streams.
Thousands of Invasive Fish Removed from Maryland Waters at Conowingo Dam
Conowingo Dam stretches across the Susquehanna River between Cecil and Harford counties. Fish lifts built onto the structure help migrating species move upriver, but also catch invasive species. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
Thousands of invasive fish have been removed from the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the Conowingo Dam earlier this year and donated to local food banks through a continuing partnership between Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Conowingo Dam owner Constellation Energy, environmental consulting firm Normandeau Associates Inc., and local seafood wholesaler J.J. McDonnell and Co. Inc.
The fish lift at Conowingo Dam is essentially a water-filled elevator that collects migrating anadromous fish species, such as American shad, during their spawning run and transports them above the dam into the upper Susquehanna River and their traditional spawning areas. When invasive fish enter the lift, technicians remove them by hand and send them out for beneficial use.
During the 2024 season, which ran from March to June, more than 18,000 pounds of invasive fish were removed from Maryland waters. Species prevented from passing upstream of the dam include 2,106 Chesapeake Channa, also known as northern snakehead; 746 flathead catfish; and 36 blue catfish. The number of Chesapeake Channa removed at the dam was more than double the amount removed in any year since the program began in 2021 (see chart below). Read more…
Natural Resources Police, Special Olympics Maryland Host Safety Training Event
Officers from multiple agencies joined Special Olympics Maryland athletes and coaches for the unified training on July 17 at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions. Maryland Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services photo by Ben Giroux.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) teamed up with Special Olympics Maryland to teach survival techniques for an active shooter scenario to Special Olympics athletes at a Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions program in Sykesville on July 17.
NRP’s training division presented its Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course as part of a “Unified Leadership opportunity,” for Special Olympics athletes and staff. The Unified Leadership model teaches instructors to value and learn from people with intellectual disabilities. Read more…
NOAA Announces $10 Million Grant for Oyster Sanctuary Reef Construction in Maryland
Project marks future phase of oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay
Oyster shells laid out for a 2016 planting at an oyster restoration sanctuary. Maryland DNR photo
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that it has recommended awarding $10 million to fund new reef construction for a Maryland Department of Natural Resources oyster sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay.
The four-year grant will provide infrastructure funding for building reef bases on about 50 to 75 acres within an existing oyster sanctuary, as well as ground-truthing to assess the area before construction. NOAA awarded the funding as part of its Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
“This is an exciting time for oysters in the Chesapeake Bay,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said. “Just as we’re finishing the tributary phase of sanctuary construction and seeding, this $10 million award will help us with future oyster restoration throughout Maryland.”
Maryland Fishing Report – July 17
Adam Krauss holds a large Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead) caught in Dundee Creek.
Sly and the Family Stone sang about “Hot Fun in the Summertime” back in 1969, and it seems very appropriate at the moment. As the temperatures stay high, summer fishing and crabbing is in full swing – freshwater, tidal, and Atlantic fish are providing plenty of exciting action!
The striped bass season in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay is now closed and will reopen August 1. The purpose of this annual summer closure is to reduce striped bass catch-and-release mortalities. Water temperatures in the Bay are generally running in the 86-degree range and are rising due to the continued heat. Striped bass suffer in these warm water conditions and the added stress of catch and release can be too much for them to recuperate.
The extremely warm water also fuels bacterial and fungal growth in Bay waters that are burdened with too many nutrients. The slime layer on fish is their protection from bacteria and fungi, and any disturbance of that layer can invite infections in warm water conditions.
A common summer bacterial infection is called mycobacteriosis. These infections can manifest themselves as one or two red lesions or sometimes an entire fish covered with them. Anglers should release diseased fish when caught, and take precautions when handling fish to avoid infection. In many cases these fish can recuperate when water temperatures cool in the fall, at which time anglers may notice scrambled lines on a striped bass indicating an area that has healed. More information on Mycobacteriosis is found on the Department of Natural Resources website.
Board of Public Works Approves $500,000 for Recreation and Land Preservation
Funding includes 100-plus acre conservation easement in Cecil County
Fair Hill Rural Legacy Area in Cecil County
The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resource items for more than $500,000 in grants to local governments and land trusts to preserve and protect land, and provide recreational opportunities for Marylanders.
The board approved $444,782 in Rural Legacy funding for the Cecil Land Trust to obtain an easement on a 102-acre property in the Fair Hill Rural Legacy Area. The conservation easement will protect agricultural and forested lands, including 3,300 linear feet of forested buffer along North East Creek and its tributaries. Read more…
Boating Accidents Trend Down, Arrests Up During Operation Dry Water 2024
Newly enacted ‘Nick’s Law’ increases penalties for boating while impaired
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo
The Maryland Natural Resources Police reported a statistically safer weekend than years past during the July 4 weekend this year.
Despite being the busiest boating holiday, no boating fatalities were recorded on Independence Day weekend. Nine boating accidents occurred on Maryland’s waterways, down from 12 in each of the previous two years.
NRP officers made nine Operating While Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) arrests during the agency’s “Operation Dry Water” heightened enforcement period from July 4-6. This was the highest number of arrests NRP recorded since making 12 arrests during Operation Dry Water in 2018. Read more…
Maryland Opens Grants Gateway to Fund Community Projects for Climate Resilience, Boating Access, and Education
Maryland DNR Accepting Grant Applications for Fiscal Year 2026
A crop of saltmarsh hay fills the shoreline at Franklin Point State Park. Photo by Joe Zimmermann.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the Grants Gateway application is open for local governments and organizations for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1, 2025.
Through this process, funding is available for projects that restore local waterways, increase communities’ resilience to climate change and storm impacts, strengthen local economies, develop the next generation of environmental stewards, and foster sustainable development and use of Maryland waterways with projects that benefit the general boating public.
Applications Now Open for 2024 Maryland Black Bear Hunt Lottery
Photo by Mitch Adolph, submitted to Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
Hunters can now enter the lottery selection process for the annual six-day black bear hunt in Western Maryland. The cost to enter the lottery is $15 and applications can be purchased from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) now through August 31.
The 2024 bear hunt will take place Oct 21-26 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The bear hunt is an important part of managing Maryland’s expanding black bear population. Read more…
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