Can I plant eelgrass in a sandy bottom in Virginia?

Welcome to the latest installment of the BayBlog Question of the Week! Each week, we take a question submitted on the Chesapeake Bay Program website or a frequently asked question and answer it here for all to read.

This week’s question came from Raymond, who asked, “Can I get eelgrass planted in Kingscote Creek at my cottage? Would this grow in a sandy bottom?”

We often receive questions about what species of bay grasses and plants would grow best in certain environments at people’s houses. There are a variety of resources out there to help you learn about the growth requirements of different species of bay grasses

As far as eelgrass goes, our field guide entry was helpful in answering Raymond’s question. Eelgrass is found in the middle and lower Bay, south of the Eastern Shore’s Honga River, meaning that Raymond’s location in Virginia’s Kingscote Creek should be a safe place to plant eelgrass. Eelgrass can grow in a variety of areas, from shallow and sandy to deep and muddy bottoms. There does not appear to be any reason Raymond should not be able to plant eelgrass near his cottage in Virginia.

One good resource for finding out about bay grasses is the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. It has a wealth of information about bay grasses in the Chesapeake Bay, the different species found in the Bay, and bay grass restoration. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources also has an extensive bay grasses section on its website.

Do you have a question about the Chesapeake Bay? Ask us and we might choose your question for the next Question ofthe Week! You can also ask us a question via Twitter by sending a reply to @chesbayprogram! Be sure to follow us there for all the latest in Bay news and events.