EASTON, MARYLAND — Maryland Natural Resources Police’s summer enforcement roundup, posted Sept. 18, includes two Talbot County cases alleging commercial hydraulic clam dredging inside submerged aquatic vegetation protection zones.
On June 20, officers were notified of commercial clamming vessels inside Blackwalnut Cove, described as an SAV zone reserved to protect underwater grasses from uprooting. Surveillance measured the boats against fixed markers, SAV markers, and buoys; DNR hydrographers confirmed both vessels operated inside the SAV area. Each operator received one citation for using a hydraulic clam dredge in an SAV protection zone.
On July 21, a commercial clamming vessel inside Claiborne Cove drew the same measurement-and-hydrographer confirmation process. The Stevensville operator was issued one citation under the same offense description.
The summer report also catalogs Mid-Shore-adjacent cases outside Talbot, including Dorchester undersized-crab and Cambridge/Choptank recreational possession matters. Those cases are separate from the two Talbot SAV dredge citations.
A citation is not a conviction. The report states the SAV-zone hydraulic clam dredge offense as a must-appear charge punishable by up to $1,000 for a first offense. It does not list court dispositions for the Talbot cases.
| Date | Location | Operators cited (as reported) | Charge frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 20, 2026 | Blackwalnut Cove, Talbot County | 29-year-old Tilghman man; 20-year-old Wittman man | Hydraulic clam dredge in SAV protection zone — must appear; up to $1,000 first offense |
| July 21, 2026 | Claiborne Cove, Talbot County | 71-year-old Stevensville man | Same SAV-zone hydraulic clam dredge citation frame |
Source: Maryland DNR
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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