OCEAN CITY — On Friday, Aug. 18 Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) and its Assateague Coastkeeper program are partnering with Oceana and the Ocean City Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation for “Float for the Coast,” an on-the-water rally in support of clean water.
The float will be both a celebration to embrace the water quality protections that allow thousands of locals and visitors alike to recreate safely in the coastal bays and a demonstration to raise awareness about the ongoing and looming threats to the fragile coastal waters.
The biggest current threat resurfaced earlier this year when the Trump administration announced plans to redraft the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program with an eye to opening the Atlantic to offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling. A similar proposal in 2014 was met by a groundswell of opposition by scientists, citizens and coastal communities before it was withdrawn in November 2016. ACT and the Coastkeeper led the local charge to rebuff that effort and will be doing so again.
The event will feature a flotilla of water craft of all shapes and sizes that will paddle (or motor) to convene for a group celebration on Isle of Wight Bay just offshore from the Roland E. Powell Convention Center where the Maryland Association of Counties will be holding their annual summer meeting.
“Water shapes our lives and is the driving force for our coastal economies,” said Assateague Coastkeeper and ACT Executive Director Kathy Phillips. “But increasingly, our water is in danger and our most precious resource needs our help. It’s easy to take for granted the many benefits we enjoy from clean water, and this event is intended to remind ourselves about these gifts and to raise awareness among the public and policymakers about the threats facing this fragile resource.”
The Float for the Coast will begin at 9 a.m. with participant registration at Fish Tales Bar and Grill/Bahia Marina on 22nd Street. Paddlers will launch from Fish Tales or 48th Street WaterSports if they are more comfortable with a shorter paddle. The rally will convene at 11:30 a.m. in Isle of Wight Bay adjacent to the Convention Center.
Once the rally concludes, participants will make their way back to Bahia Marina, where all will be welcome to refresh themselves at a happy hour hosted by Fish Tales.
The public is encouraged to join in the float for free by bringing their kayak, standup paddleboard, canoe or any legal watercraft to the official launch site and enjoy a few hours on the bay while learning about some of the challenges facing local waterways. ACT will have a limited number of rental kayaks available. The public is encouraged to register online in advance for the event at www.actforbays.org.