Testimony by Dixie Birch, Senior Biologist, Ph.D.
Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex
2145 Key Wallace Drive
Cambridge, MD 21613
Phone: 410-228-2692, ext. 118
Email: dixie_birch@fws.gov
Mr. President and distinguished members of the Dorchester County Council, I am Dr. Dixie Birch and I am the Senior Biologist for the Chesapeake Marshlands Complex, stationed at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Our time this evening is limited so I will get right to the key points I want to share with you.
*Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is a wetland with International significance and was designated as a RAMSAR site at the 1971 International Convention on Wetlands. Because of this designation, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Port Administration are working with us to restore 8,000 or more acres of critical wetland habitats.
*Activities in the Little Blackwater River (LBR) watershed have a direct impact on water quantity and water quality coming into the Blackwater River ecosystem. We are concerned about the potential degradation of these sensitive and critical wetland areas.
*Several rare species are found in the LBR including the American Eel. The American Eel is currently being considered for inclusion under the Endangered Species Act and a decision on the status of this species is expected in September 2006. In addition, there is a possibility that the dwarf-wedge mussel may be in the Little Blackwater River watershed. This mussel is already listed as an endangered species.
*We have analyzed the changes to impervious surfaces that the Blackwater Resort Communities development will have on the LBR watershed by working with the Environmental Protection Agency modeling system called "NEMO". This development project will increase the impervious surfaces of the LBR by 12 to 13%.
*Previous scientific studies by Galli in 1994 and the Center for Watershed Protection in 2000 have clearly demonstrated that when the impervious surfaces in a watershed exceed 10% there is a sharp decline in fish populations and water quality.
*In addition, there are rare aquatic plants in the LBR. We believe frog’s bit, a rare aquatic plant, is likely to occur in the project area and there are only 7 known locations of frog’s bit within the state of Maryland. Decreases in water quality and increases in water quantity would result in declines of these sensitive aquatic plants.
*As the front-page article in the Daily Times described yesterday, Delmarva is highly vulnerable to sea level rise. This is one reason we have been actively working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Port Administration to bring clean dredged material to Blackwater to restore wetlands. The restoration project at Blackwater is on the order of a similar project performed at Poplar Island, which cost approximately $450 million. The cost of the project to restore the Blackwater River watershed will result in significant economic benefits to Dorchester Countians and all Marylanders.
*Blackwater Resort Communities is willing to manage their stormwater based on a 10-year storm event which is 5.4 inches of rain within a 24-hour period. We have analyzed weather data since 2000 and there were very few, if any, 10-year storm events. However, we know that you do not need that much rain to flood the system. Dorchester County has the most hydric or wet soils of any county in Maryland and probably within the entire Chesapeake Bay system. In addition, South Dorchester is already subject to considerable flooding from high tides; however, tidal fluctuations are not addressed in 10-year storm events.
*Rivers in Dorchester County are wind driven and if there is a wind from the south or the east it pushes the water up into the system. On approximately 8 occasions within the past 5 years, the wind and soil conditions have produced extensive flooding with only a 2 or 3 inch rain. This system is highly complex and requires an in-depth analysis to prevent additional flooding.
*For example, the Blackwater Causeway along Key Wallace Drive has flooded so much that the County has repeatedly had to raise the road bed; the last time the road was raised approximately 1.5 feet. Egypt Road has also flooded with 2-3 inches of rain when the soils were already saturated and the winds were coming from the south or east.
*Last week when we testified before the Maryland Senate, we reiterated our recommendations contained in our letter dated October 27, 2005 which include performing a baseline study and inventory of the natural resources and water quality and quantity conditions of the Little Blackwater River. We strongly urge the Council not to approve the requested increase in growth allocation until a baseline study can be completed addressing the following topics:
*Once the baseline study has been completed, we recommend that a group be tasked with conducting annual monitoring of the LBR resources to detect any degradation of the system.
*If problems are detected we strongly recommend that either developers, the City, or the County be accountable for mitigating any damages to the natural resources.
*We need assurances that this development will not adversely affect Blackwater NWR and our trust resources.