The Port of Baltimore:
An Economic Engine
for Maryland
The Port of Baltimore is an economic powerhouse for the State of Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Located over one hundred miles up the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, it is one of only a few East Coast ports with the depth and infrastructure to accommodate some of the world’s largest container ships.
"The Port of Baltimore and the import of goods plays a crucial role in Maryland's COVID-19 recovery. The expansion of business, especially during challenging times, reflects the industry's unwavering confidence in our Port and its talented workforce."
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
That's a Whole Lot of Sediment
Maintaining the shipping channels in the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore Harbor, and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal for massive ships is also a massive job. Every year, with help from our partners at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly 5 million cubic yards of sediment are dredged from these channels and anchorages just to maintain their current depths and widths.
So what does 5 million cubic yards of sediment look like? Picture the Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium filled to the brim. Then picture it again. That’s how much sediment we dredge, on average, every single year.
Figuring out how to manage and utilize the equivalent of two stadiums full of sediment in ways that are good for the Port, good for our communities, and good for the environment is the Office of Harbor Development's single greatest priority, and at the very center of what the Dredged Material Management Program (DMMP) is all about.
Environmental & Community Benefits
While our innovative, award-winning placement sites - like Hart-Miller Island, Masonville Cove, Cox Creek and Poplar Island - provide a safe new home for all of this sediment, they’re also helping our local communities and the environment by providing thousands of acres of wildlife habitat where people can explore, discover, learn, and grow.
So if you’d like to experience these fascinating sites, please click here to learn a few fun facts and take a bird’s eye fly-over tour.
Stakeholder Reflections
Originally shared during the 2020 DMMP Annual Meeting, this film highlights stakeholders as they share their thoughts on the significance and importance of the Dredged Material Management Act and the DMMP.
