American Flag Raised On Bay Island Met With Cheers; Area Resident Joined By Others In Endeavor

OCEAN CITY — A sandy spit in the Isle of Wight Bay became an unlikely site of spontaneous patriotism on Sunday afternoon when a determined Selbyville man, with the help of new friends, raised an American flag on the recently restored island.

On Sunday afternoon, Captain Glen Smith of Selbyville waded from his boat onto the Dog and Bitch Island in the Isle of Wight Bay, carrying bags of concrete, tools, a flag pole and an American flag. The Dog and Bitch Island is an historic island in the shallow coastal bays behind Ocean City recently restored during the dredging of the navigation channels in and around the resort last fall and winter.

The island existed on charts dating back to the 1930s, but had all but disappeared over the decades. When the federal Army Corps of Engineers dredged the navigation channels around the coastal bays, the resulting sand and dredge spoil had to be placed somewhere. It was ultimately decided to use the 400,000-plus cubic yards of sand to restore some of the islands in the coastal bays that had not been seen since the 1930s including the famed Dog and Bitch Island.

As a result, roughly 18,000 cubic yards of sand were pumped onto the Dog and Bitch Island. The project essentially accomplished two goals including finding a home for the material dredged from the channels while recreating historic small islands essential for migratory bird habitat and other uses. Throughout the early summer, Dog and Bitch and some of the other restored islands have become popular recreation sites for boaters, many of whom drop anchor and wade ashore on busy weekends.

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