James Island land loss - from the perspective of Dr. Darrin Lowrey

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Maps illustrate the loss of land on James Island from 1847 when the landmass totaled approximately 995 acres to 2013 when the landmass totaled approximately 13 acres.

Aerial photograph of James Island in 1946 - note the same red arrow used as reference point as in the above maps.

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The Log Road that once existed on James Island was once used to haul equipment and machinery over low lying portions of the salt marsh on the edge of the island. Loblolly timbers were once harvested from James Island by the use of this road.

The photograph on the left taken in 1958 by A. Aubrey Bodine shows a log road that existed on James in the mid 20th century. Dr. Lowrey found the exact location of this log road and photographed it from the same angle as the Bodine photograph in 2014 to illustrate the loss of land.

During his visit to the island in 2014, Dr. Lowrey found that the log road had been buried approximately one foot under the surface of the island due to compaction and sediment over wash of the island.

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Photographs of the same fragment of James Island between 2011 and 2018. By making trips out to James during the first two decades of the 21st century, Dr. Lowrey was able to show the dramatic changes in the island’s shoreline.

Documenting the end of an era for James Island, Maryland

James Island at the mouth of the Little Choptank River is a landmass that totaled approximately 1350 acres when it was first settled in the 1660’s. At one point, the landmass was connected to the mainland of neighboring Taylor’s Island in Dorchester County, Maryland. By the late 1870’s, the island hosted a small community with two dozen homes, a store, and a school house. The community on the island was eventually abandoned due to the visible signs of the island washing away with the erosive forces of the Chesapeake. In the 20th century the island was used for harvesting timber (loblolly pines) and a hunting preserve for waterfowl and the introduced sika deer. Erosion continued to eat away at the island’s landmass, eventually breaking the once contiguous landmass into multiple islets or fragments. The once thriving coastal pine forest continued to fall into the bay and by late 2022/early 2023 all of the trees on the island had become obstructions to boaters navigating the shallow waters in search of fish and waterfowl.

During my time working on Island Life, I visited James Island three times to document how the forces of the Chesapeake were changing the landscape. I launched my skiff from Slaughter Creek which is approximately six miles by water to the island. I would set up camp on the island to take advantage of the late evening light and early morning light while shooting this series. James was included in the ‘Islands of the Past’ chapter of the book with islands like Hollands, Bloodsworth, Poplar and Watts - all formerly inhabited islands that had been abandoned by full time residents. During my last visit to James Island in January 2023, it was obvious that the days were numbered for the landmass - the island fragments were significantly smaller than they were during my previous visits and nearly all of the vegetation that could help suppress the erosion was gone. It is likely that all traces of James Island will be completely gone within the next year.

The fate of the James is similar to that of Poplar Island which lies approximately 20 miles to the north in Talbot County. Like James, Poplar was once inhabited and by the late 1990’s had eroded down to island fragments that were a small fraction of the size when they were first surveyed. Since the early 2000’s Poplar Island has been rebuilt in a collaborative effort between the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Port Authority with material dredged from the shipping channels of the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Poplar has been restored to approximately 1700 acres and is nearly at capacity with dredge material. Looking for a new location to dispose of dredge material, the Army Corps has had its sights set on James and Barren Island (approximately 10 miles to the south of James) - this project is known as the Mid Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration. Once complete, the $1.9 billion project is set to bring the landmass of James Island to approximately 2100 acres and add 72 acres to Barren Island. Work on James is projected to begin in 2024 with the creation of a rip rap (stone) perimeter and in 2028 dredge material will be barged in and added to recreate the island. The recreation of the island will help maintain access in the bay’s channels for large ships while recreating historical wildlife habitat and protecting adjacent shores on the mainland from erosion.

The photographs below in this blog post illustrate the changes in the landscape on James Island from 1928 to 2023.

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January 2023

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December 2021

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April 2019

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Historic Photographs

Island resident Captain J. Everett Dean at his home on James Island, Md, 1928. Courtesy of family photo collection of Stephanie Coleman Elliott, source: The Grace Foundation

A collection of photographs from the late 1950’s and early 1960’s by Baltimore Sun photographer Aubrey Bodine. Courtesy of Jennifer Bodine and the A. Aubrey Bodine Collection. Source www.aaubreybodine.com

Top left: looking west at James Island from the Little Choptank River. May 1963
Top Middle: a road made by loggers that cut through the marshy areas of James Island. Timber was harvested from the island for years - contributing to the accelerated erosion of the island. March 1960
Top Right: marsh and upland on James Island. 1959
Bottom Left: James Island caretaker Carl Bush holds the skull of a sika deer, a small deer indigenous to Asia that was introduced to James Island in 1916
Bottom Right: the last structure on James Island was the caretakers cabin where caretaker Carl Bush and his wife lived.

James Island in May of 1982. Photograph courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program/Kent Mountford - www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/a-scientists-decades-long-portrait-of-a-vanishing-chesapeake-island

Aerial photograph of James Island in 1999 with the northwestern point of Taylors Island on the top left portion of the frame. Photograph courtesy of David Harp

2022 Holiday Open Studio - December 17th and 18th

On December 17th and 18th, I am opening the doors of my Kent Island studio from 10am to 4pm. All are welcome to come by to check out the space! I will have a variety of large and small prints on display and available for sale, signed books will also be available. Gift certificates and spaces on 2023 workshops will also be available as holiday gifts.

The first 30 people to come out each day will get a FREE 2023 wall calendar! Drinks and snacks will be available to guests.

Steve Dorrell of Wye River Antiques will have a selection of oyster cans, waterfowl decoys and maritime antiques on display and available for sale at the open studio.

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Jay Fleming Photography
1415 Sonny Schulz Blvd
Stevensville, MD 21666

 

2022 Holiday Party - December 2nd

My eighth annual holiday party will be held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum from six to nine in the evening on December 2nd! This party is always a fun time - Tangier Sound oysters on the half shell, beer from Forward Brewing and wine at an incredible venue right on the water!

100% of the $10 cover charge will go directly to the Musuem to support their education and outreach programs. Oysters on the half shell, grilled oysters, light appetizers and drinks will be available to guests at no charge.

The first 50 guests to arrive at the party will receive a free 2023 Life on the Chesapeake Bay wall calendar.

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- Scenes from the 2021 Holiday Party -

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- Venue -

Annapolis Maritime Museum
723 Second Street
Annapolis, MD 21403

 

- Parking -

Street parking in Eastport is the best option for guests bringing their own vehicles. The museum is within walking distance from parking options in Eastport. Guests are also encouraged to carpool, and to uber/lyft/taxi to the event.

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