Wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay region are being degraded at an alarming rate as a result of altered hydrology, rising sea levels, increased salinity, and damage from non-native species.

In order to restore and protect the wetland area, the Naval Air Station Patuxent River with technical assistance from NRCS, the Southern Maryland RC&D Council and the St. Mary's County Soil Conservation District, first had to repair and stabilize the shoreline at Webster Field along the St. Mary's River. Sills and breakwaters were established to dissipate wave energy and promote the accumulation of soil along a 3,500 foot stretch of previously eroding shoreline.

Following these extensive re-engineering efforts, the Conservation Partnership worked with the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland Conservation Corps, and community volunteers to restore 1.5 acres of salt marsh by planting native marsh grasses.  The wetland restoration area is located directly behind the sills and breakwaters that were filled with sand to decrease erosion.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Naval Air Station Patuxent River (Environmental Department), National Aquarium ( Baltimore ), St. Mary's County Soil Conservation District, Maryland Conservation Corps, Community volunteers and others.

• 3,500 feet of eroding shoreline was stabilized using sills and breakwaters designed to minimize erosion and maintain the shoreline.  
• More than 100 Conservation Partnership employees and volunteers contributed almost 800 hours to plant the 1.5 acres of un-vegetated wetlands with two species of native wetland grasses.  The grasses, 11,000 plants of Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) and 19,500 plants of S. patens (salt meadow cordgrass) will improve the site by reducing the potential for future erosion and by providing habitat for many animal species.  
• After the initial planting, community volunteers will help the Baltimore Aquarium monitor this site to assess plant survival and growth.  
• The project also included the creation of 3-dimensional oyster reefs as breakwaters and wave shelters for eelgrass.  The Oyster Recovery Partnership donated 40,000 oyster spat to be planted on the reef.  The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay coordinated the planting of 4,500 eelgrass plants behind the reefs.  
• Wetlands provide numerous functions to the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding watershed, including flood buffering, erosion control, bank stabilization, and water quality improvement.  Wetlands provide habitat for birds, blue crabs, striped bass, oysters, shad, otters, and other aquatic wildlife.
• Conservation Partnership employees and community volunteers took an “ownership role” in the wetland restoration project.  A second wetland grass planting was just completed in May 2005.
• Using this cooperative conservation approach, several significant, attainable goals were identified and achieved in partnership of more than 10 Federal, state and non-profit groups.  The partnership was able to meet five of the Chesapeake Bay agreement goals that focus on oysters, submerged aquatic vegetation, education and outreach, public access, and nutrients and sediments. 

• NRCS and Southern Maryland RC&D Council received the prestigious 2004 National Coastal America Partnership Award in recognition of cooperative conservation accomplishments from his project.