Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island

The restoration of the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island (commonly known as Poplar Island) is a joint undertaking of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration.

Poplar Island is an international model for the beneficial use of dredged material restoring remote island habitat, with the potential to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise.

Once completed within the next quarter century, Poplar Island will comprise over 1,700 uninhabited acres, made up of a number of wetland, upland, and open-water embayment cells designed to provide habitat for countless species of native plants and animals. Since the project was first initiated 30 years ago, millions of tons of dredged sand, rock, and sediment have been meticulously planned and placed to maximize the island’s utility and ecological potential.