The 18 square-mile section of Mallows Bay encompasses a “ghost fleet” of more than 200 shipwrecks, half of which were wooden steamships built during World War I. Other wrecks date back three centuries. The shipwrecks are often visible above the waterline.18 square miles seems a little large, considering the actual size of Mallows Bay and the area the wrecks are in, even though this was on the small size of the sanctuaries considered. At 18 square miles, Option B of those considered goes considerably beyond the actual extent of the historic wrecks, and encompasses a fair stretch of the Potomac including both Virginia and Maryland shores.
The Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary will be the first such sanctuary designated in 19 years. It will be run jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the State of Maryland, and Charles County. It is the first ever national marine sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
“When you visit Mallows Bay and paddle among the remains of an underwater fleet, it transports you back in history, all the while enjoying the abundant wildlife that now calls the shipwrecks home. Mallows Bay is a special place that deserves protection forever,” says Kris Sarri, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
Previous posts on Mallows Bay:
Mallows Bay Sanctuary Under Fire for ExpansionFeds Create Park to Celebrate Naval Fiasco
Yesterday's Junk is Today's Treasure
PRFC Declines to Nix Potomac River Water GrabCool Beans
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