Assessment of oyster reefs in the Great Wicomico River, VA

Background
The Great Wicomico River, Virginia is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay located on Virginia’s Northern Neck. In 2004, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District (USACE) and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) constructed 85 acres of sanctuary oyster reefs.

The current Great Wicomico Rehabilitation Project includes further rehabilitation, adaptive management, and new construction of oyster reefs in the Great Wicomico River. This project aims to restore the oyster population, which is a fraction of historic numbers, thereby restoring ecological services and ecosystem benefits that have been severely degraded.

Grant Details
The objectives are to monitor and document the status of the new 2025 adaptive management, rehabilitation, and new construction reefs using criteria established by the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Sustainable Fisheries GIT Chesapeake Bay Oyster Metrics Report. An oyster sanctuary reef should achieve target thresholds of 50 oysters/m2, 50 grams dry weight/m2, and a minimum of two-year classes.

The reefs will undergo physical assessments for density, biomass (dry weight), shell accretion, and size-frequency distribution. An assessment of other attached fauna for density and biomass is also desired. Approximately 18.24 acres across 7 reef sites will need to be assessed with monitoring anticipated in Years 1 (2026), 3 (2028), and 5 (2030).

Eligibility Requirements
This opportunity is restricted to non-federal partners of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU). Disclosures of current and pending support made in this application may render an applicant ineligible for funding.

Period of Performance
The anticipated period of performance is 5 years with monitoring occurring in Years 1, 3, and 5.

Grant Value
The estimated total program funding is $300,000 with an estimated award ceiling of $100,000 per period:
- Period 1 = $100,000 (2 year POP)
- Period 2 = $100,000 (2 year POP)
- Period 3 = $100,000 (1 year POP).

Place of Performance
The grant will be performed in the Great Wicomico River, Virginia.