Rebuilding Poplar Island

  • Released Thursday, June 28th, 2012
  • Updated Tuesday, November 14th, 2023 at 12:18AM
  • ID: 11028

Poplar Island is being rebuilt by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers using dredged mud from the Baltimore Harbor which lies about 30 miles (about 48 kilometers) north of the island.

Reconstruction of the island began in 1998 with the erection of dikes to contain the mud.

The growing island is a wildlife sanctuary, a hatchery for hundreds of diamondback terrapins and home to about 170 different species of birds including terns and bald eagles.

NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) jointly manage Landsat. The USGS preserves the archive of Landsat images and distributes all of the 40-years of Landsat data free over the Internet.

Starting in 1998, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to rebuild Poplar Island, using dredged mud from the Baltimore Harbor which lies about 30 miles (about 48 kilometers) north of the island.

The growing island is a wildlife sanctuary, a hatchery for hundreds of diamondback terrapins and home to about 170 different species of birds including terns and bald eagles.

Landsat is a joint program of the USGS and NASA.

Landsat's view of Poplar Island, MD, in 1997, before the reconstruction began.

Landsat's view of Poplar Island, MD, in 1997, before the reconstruction began.

Landsat's view of Poplar Island, MD, in 2011, after 13 years of rebuilding the island using material dredged from Baltimore Harbor.

Landsat's view of Poplar Island, MD, in 2011, after 13 years of rebuilding the island using material dredged from Baltimore Harbor.

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Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

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  • Rebuilding Poplar Island (ID: 2012075)
    Friday, June 29, 2012 at 4:00AM
    Produced by - Walt Feimer