Greenbury Point at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Annapolis welcomes hundreds of visitors every week. Visitors come for U.S. Naval Academy athletic events, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) activities and lodging, and public recreation at our Nature Center, walking trails, and the East and West Access Roads that lead out to the towers on the point. The Cottages at Greenbury Point opened earlier this year and will be busy serving the needs of military service members and their families through the summer.
This spring, visitors may notice a few new and ongoing environmental restoration and protection projects on Greenbury Point.
An ongoing invasive species removal and replacement project will continue this spring and summer with tree planting near the MWR cottages. Routine spring maintenance will be conducted by NSA Annapolis, including mulching the walking trails near the Nature Center.
In April, work will begin on the new construction of a living shoreline at Carr Creek (Project #1) using log-toe stabilization and installation of native marsh species. This project, originally included in the 2015 NSA Annapolis Shoreline Environmental Action (EA), will feature nearly 500 linear feet of low-profile hardwood log sill and approximately 4,095 square feet of newly planted marsh vegetation to reinforce the Carr Creek shoreline along the Dead Poets Trail.
Living shorelines are a common erosion control measure used to protect, restore, enhance or create a natural shoreline habitat. NSA Annapolis worked with the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) Tidal Wetlands Division to ensure that all work performed on the project was appropriately permitted and designed to address the erosion at Carr Creek in the most effective and environmentally appropriate way.
The Carr Creek Living Shoreline construction is expected to begin in early April and take approximately two months to complete. During this time, Greenbury Point visitors may notice heavy machinery, work crews, and temporary trail closures to ensure public safety.
In May, a second environmental restoration project will begin on Greenbury Point in the vicinity of the lagoon along Carr Creek (Project #2). In the 1940s, the lagoon was used to store spoils from dredge work in the surrounding waterways and an earthen berm was constructed to contain the dredge spoils. In the early 1990s, much of the dredge spoils were excavated and removed from the lagoon. In 2015, a study identified remaining heavy metals present in the sediment of the lagoon. The study also determined the berm was at risk of failure due to downed trees and shrubs along the berm, projected sea level rise, and increased wave action from storms.
Over the years, the berm has been repaired and reinforced multiple times to ensure it remains capable of containing dredge spoils to the lagoon. In 2022, the Navy awarded a contract to repair the berm and construct another living shoreline to provide further support and long-term resiliency. The project will stabilize the berm using a variety of techniques, including clearing of unwanted vegetation and replacement with appropriate native vegetation designed to move with sea level rise and migrate while maintaining the integrity of the berm into the future.
The berm project, also originally included in the 2015 NSA Annapolis Shoreline EA, was designed and permitted with input from both the MDE and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Construction associated with the restoration of the berm will begin this spring and continue throughout the summer. Visitors to the area will notice heavy machinery in the vicinity of the berm and construction-related safety closures of the access roads during active construction periods. To ensure the safety of construction crews working in the Surface Danger Zone on days when the NSA Annapolis Small Arms Range is in use, the on-site project manager will be in direct communications with the Range Control Officer. Range control will directly advise the project manager when it is necessary for crews to vacate the work area due to training activities.
Greenbury Point is an important mission-supportive resource for NSA Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy. It serves a vital training support mission for midshipmen, enhances quality of life services for MWR patrons, and allows NSA Annapolis to be a good neighbor in our community by extending recreational amenities to the general public.
Sustaining our Navy mission depends on our responsible use of the land, water, and resources with which we are entrusted. Greenbury Point is critical to NSA Annapolis’ ability to complete our mission and the environmental restoration and protection work this summer will safeguard this important resource for years to come.
