Chesapeake Bay Marina Prepares for Future Storms

In the wake of Hurricane Isabel, 222 Severn on Chesapeake Bay made several design changes to prepare the marina for rising sea levels and future storm surges. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place May 17 to celebrate a host of improvements including a transition to a floating dock system, levitating gangway, raised electrical platform, longer electrical feeds, and heightened anchor piles. “We are grateful to everyone involved,” said 222 Severn/W&P Nautical co-owner Cardie Templeton, “for seeing this project through to completion and thereby creating a model that shows how maritime businesses can protect waterfront resources.”

Each element of the project is designed to endure greater variation in water levels. The levitating gangway can rise a full four feet above the bulkhead. The anchor piles stand three feet taller than the dock deck at extreme high tide, allowing for two-foot waves. The electrical platform stands two and a half feet higher than the building code requirements and the electrical feeds are now long enough to accommodate the highest and lowest water levels anticipated by the marina’s calculations.

The company made all of their water level and storm calculations available on their website (www.222severn.com/marina) in the interest of benefiting the marina community at large. “We’re sharing our logic, decisions, and list of partners in case any of this can help others in their resiliency efforts,” said Templeton. “The stronger our collective infrastructure, the healthier our maritime industry will be, and the more we can all enjoy the water and feel encouraged to save the Chesapeake Bay.”