Has your family
spent a relaxing day at this Magothy River island? Have you rafted
up with friends, enjoyed its calm waters and roamed its protected
beach? Did you know that all this could come to a sudden end? Dobbins
Island is privately owned and is up for sale. In fact, there is a
contract on it now! Anne Arundel County has already cleared the island
for development. If this sale goes through, this recreational treasure
will be lost forever!
Did you know
that this island has been eroding for years? Last year, Hurricane
Isabel almost cut the island in two. Millions of your tax dollars
have been spent for oyster restoration in the Magothy River. Health
oyster beds restore water quality that, in turn, promote bay grasses
and a healthy ecosystem. Not far from Dobbins Island are some of the
best oyster restoration sites in Maryland. Continued unchecked island
erosion from Dobbins is now threatening these restored oyster bars.
The Magothy
River Association is working with local, state and federal agencies
to preserve and protect these oyster beds and save your tax dollars!
We want to preserve and protect Dobbins Island too. The goal is to
make it better by restoring it to its original size and reforesting
its shoreline with trees. The MRA feels that this goal can only be
accomplished if the island is purchased from private ownership and
then protected within a land trust as public land. Imagine Dobbins
Island as a state park serving as a tribute to bay restoration. Our
legacy, left for future generations to enjoy.
If you are
interested in helping to preserve this island, contact me at president@magothyriver.org.
Stay tuned for an online petition that will be available soon on the
magothyriver.org website to save this island from continuing erosion
and future development. Please contact your local and state government
officials. They need to know that you are concerned and support our
goal.
Working together
we can make this happen!
Paul Spadaro
MRA President
Download
Army Corps of Engineers report on Dobbin Island (Word format)