Returning to Webster’s Cove

            Webster’s Cove is by no means an imposing port full of bustling ship traffic exporting goods to far off places, but through the eyes of a small child growing up on the rural Eastern Shore it was exactly that. Located in secluded Mt. Vernon, Maryland, Webster’s Cove lies at the mouth of the Wicomico River. Standing on the shore of the marsh that all my friends and I would spend our days traipsing through, the Wicomico River looked to be miles wide and hundreds of feet deep. In the summers we would watch what seemed to be an endless stream of boats travel in and out of the harbor. They were so large and mysterious; always grabbing our attention and making us create different scenarios about where they were going. Growing up in Mt. Vernon we were lucky to have the tidal marsh as our playground, where we learned to appreciate the natural world for its beauty and many lessons we would learn from this place we called home. Between playing man hunt in the phragmites at dusk and staring, mesmerized at the colors of the sunset, we spent not only our days, but our nights out in this marsh. The sunsets in Mt. Vernon are unforgettable. The mix of pinks, oranges, and purples reflecting off of the river are incredibly beautiful. 

            One of my first memories on the Wicomico River is fishing off of my grandparent’s dock with my grandfather. We caught catfish, rock fish, and eels. The catfish is not the prettiest fish, with its mud brown coloring, but as a child it was the only fish I could recognize because of their distinctive whiskers. While we would have our lines cast off the dock, we would have strings tied to the pilings of the dock. “Chicken necking” was our version of crabbing, though we never had much luck with it. We were lucky to catch half a dozen in an afternoon. It was much easier to walk across the street and buy a bushel from one of the local watermen coming in from a successful day of crabbing.

            When we were younger, we would all go walking through the marsh, creating adventure in our sleepy little town. Near the shoreline we would see mummichugs swimming and attempt to scoop them up, almost always missing them by a second. The periwinkles that attached themselves to the bulk-heading were more my speed. All you had to do was pluck one off of the pier and let it sit in the palm of your hand. Once it wasn’t afraid anymore it would slowly begin to come out of its shell, and leave a slimy trail as they crawled along your hand. The periwinkle, or Littorina littorea, are originally from Europe and are considered an invasive species to the East Coast of the United States (Encyclopedia).

          As we explored the tidal marsh we became very familiar with the different organisms living within the ecosystem. On top of a channel marker that is positioned at the entrance of the harbor there is an Osprey nest that is always filled with a family of these curious birds. Whenever we would take the boat or jet-ski out we would pass the nest as we enter or left the harbor. Perched on top of the channel marker, for as long as I can remember, there is a family of Osprey, or Fish Hawk as the locals call them. The nickname, Fish Hawk, comes from their diet of fish and their hunting technique of diving into the water to pluck live fish up with their talons (All About Birds). These birds have bright yellow eyes that are not afraid to make eye contact with any boater that passes by. For some reason I always thought that the family that nested in the top of the channel marker were just used to being around humans, but I later learned that it is common for these birds to be very curious of humans and not easily spooked by them (All About Birds).

            One hot weekend, I took the jet-ski out on the river. While I was out in the middle, I ran out of gas. Luckily, it was low tide. The river was so shallow that my dad was able to walk out to where I was bobbing on the jet-ski and towed me back to shore. As a child, this river seemed so deep and wide, but it is actually shallow. Mt. Vernon is a small town, but since it sits at the mouth of the Wicomico River barges carrying goods to the Port of Salisbury are always traveling by. These barges are typically transporting chicken feed for Perdue Farms, Cato’s oil and gas, and Vulcan Materials’ construction material (Cox). Every other year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funds a dredging project that sends equipment to Webster’s Cove to dredge out a channel for these barges to pass through (Cox). Without the dredging, to remove the silt from the bottom of the river it would be impassable to larger vessels (Cox).

            While the channel becoming clogged with silt, the shoreline that borders Webster’s Cove is receding. John Barnette, a watermen in Mt. Vernon known for his extensive knowledge of this area, stated that in his lifetime there has been an obvious recession in the shoreline due to erosion (O’Neal). As a child I remember playing on the beach in front of my grandparent’s cottage, right down the street from Webster’s Cove. We would burry our legs in the sand and pick up the baby jellyfish that were scattered over the beach. These baby jellyfish were dime sized, clear jelly domes that would wash in with the waves. I always loved playing with them because, unlike the adult jellyfish, they could not sting me.

            The Wicomico River is not just a beautiful and complicated tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, but a way of making a living for many locals. Year round the harbor is filled with boats owned by these local watermen who have some of the deepest connections with this river. Not only do these watermen depend on the river for their personal livelihood, but they have vowed to protect this invaluable resource. Barnette states that it is not uncommon to put in about 80 hours a week between shedding soft crabs, catching hard crabs, or oystering (Wicomico Stewardship Initiative). The dedication to this trade that these watermen exhibit is one of the most inspiring professions in my opinion. Working on the water requires a love for what you do because it is not always easy.

            The job of a waterman is unpredictable. Nature is not consistent and to be successful they must adapt. For example, for a good crab harvest requires a perfect combination of winter temperatures, coastal currents, weather patterns, and natural predators (MD DNR). Some years a good harvest is in the cards when these factors work together, in other years disease, or weather can disrupt a whole year’s worth of work. The success of both crab and oyster harvests are said to be indicators of the health of the Chesapeake Bay. If this is the case then things seem to be looking up because for the seventh year in a row crab harvests have been reported at a safe level (MD DNR). The 2015 oyster season in Mt. Vernon has filled the harbor with work boats from surrounding communities to access the public oyster beds that are very plentiful this year. During the crabbing season this year there were seven work boats working out of Webster’s Cove. The start of the oyster season increased the number of work boats to 24, a trend that has not been common in recent years.

            Good harvests are directly linked to natural factors, but continuing this trend must also be a combined effort with those that benefit from the harvests. In every Environmental Studies class we have the discussion about private versus public land and resources. When resources are open to the public it is a competition between parties of who can collect the most resources. In a capitalist society it is about making a profit, so public lands run the risk of being depleted because of this competition. However, with private resources there is no competition and it remains up to the owner to maintain the resources. John Barnette owns several oyster ground leases that give him the right to the oysters within the lease perimeters (Wicomico Stewardship Initiative).   In Maryland only 7,000 acres of oyster grounds are leased to private individuals (Extension, pg 1). If more oyster ground leases were issued to local watermen it could be beneficial because it would then become the responsibility of those lease holders to provide protection to the oyster beds.

            These moments of wonder and joy, growing up in such a beautiful place have influenced my pursuit of a degree in Environmental Studies. I wanted to share an appreciation of nature that I gained through these experiences onto others. While I was furthering my education, I found that I enjoy studying the economics behind the relationship between the river and the watermen. This connection is undeniable and important to the way of life of many locals. I want to be able to use my education in both fields to find a middle ground where watermen, environmentalists, and economists work together to preserve this industry and the natural resources it depends on. A lot of times there is tension because one side assigns blame for the problems facing the Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries. Natural history emphasizes the interconnectedness between humans and nature. The Wicomico River connects places, people, the environment, and industry to the ecosystems that support them. The distribution of resources, like oysters, connect the Wicomico River to places like New York City. John Barnette says that he has transported his soft shell crabs from Mt. Vernon to as far as New York City (O’Neal). The resources of the Wicomico River are not only important to the locals, but are treasured by others as well.

           My education has opened my eyes and changed my perspective on the area that I grew up in. As a child I had many experiences that drove my appreciation for nature from a young age. I had a childhood where I was free to explore and learn through experience. With both Environmental Studies and Economics backgrounds I see the potential of nature and industry working together. Environmentalists, economists, and the watermen are working towards the same ultimate goal; I hope I can be a part of achieving it. 

Kaitlin O’Neal

Works Cited

"Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Population Shows Modest Improvement." DNR News. Maryland DNR, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2015.

"Common Periwinkle." Encyclopedia of Life. Ecomare, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Cox, Jeremy. "Wicomico Co. Looks to Expand Port of Salisbury." CBS. N.p., 31 May 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2015

"John Barnette Interview Video." Interview by Tara O'Neal.

O'Neal, Tara. Harbor. 2014. Mt. Vernon.

O'Neal, Tara. "John Barnette: A Wicomico Waterman." Wicomico River Stewardship Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

"Osprey." Sounds, All About Birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2015.

Webster, Donald, and Donald Meritt. "Laws and Regulations for Shellfish Growers in Maryland." University of Maryland Extension (2007): 1-21. University of Maryland. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.