Notable Mid-Atlantic Wetland Site - Blackwater, Maryland

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia. Credit: Virginia Dept. of Env'l Quality

Dyke Marsh, Virginia in early April. Credit: Virginia Dept. of Env'l Quality

Roughly one-third of Maryland's tidal wetlands are located in the Blackwater watershed. The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge contains 27,000 acres of brackish tidal wetlands, freshwater impoundments, open fields, and forests containing loblolly pines . The refuge is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance , one of the Nature Conservancy's Last Great Places, a priority wetland identified in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and a critical resting point for migratory birds traveling the Atlantic Flyway. The refuge hosts the largest population of the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel that still remains in the wild.

Additional Information:

• Blackwater Falls State Park
• Friends of Blackwater Canyon