Posted on February 4, 2026
OCEAN CITY, Md. – Worcester County leaders are renewing their push for a federal update to how the Ocean City Inlet and surrounding coastal bays are managed, as concerns continue about shoaling, navigation and long-term storm resilience.
The request appeared on the Worcester County commissioners’ consent agenda Tuesday and calls for a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers supporting an updated water resources study. County materials say the most recent major federal review referenced in the packet dates to 1998.
Robert Mitchell, Worcester County’s environmental programs director, said the effort is meant to re-examine whether the inlet is functioning as it should, including how sand is moving within the coastal bays and along the Atlantic coastline, and whether additional projects are needed.
“It’s a water resources study and it needs to be updated,” Mitchell said. He said the review looks at the inlet’s performance, sand movement and risks to Assateague Island.
Mitchell said shoaling in the inlet has been worsening and that the jetties built by the Corps after a 1936 storm altered the natural north-south flow of sand. He said that disruption is part of why sand is placed on Assateague Island as part of long-term management and why beach nourishment work continues in Ocean City.
Mitchell said the updated request also includes navigational safety and an environmental restoration component. He said potential considerations can include clearing debris, ensuring boat traffic can move through the bays and evaluating whether dredged sand can be used for beneficial purposes such as shoreline protection, habitat enhancement or island creation projects.
He described a process in which the county sends a letter to Corps officials in the Baltimore District and the request is placed into the district’s work plan for consideration during federal budgeting.
Ted Elder, a Worcester County commissioner, said the item was included on the consent agenda because it was expected to have broad support.
“We put it on the consent agenda because it was pretty much a given that the commissioners would all be for that,” Elder said.
Mitchell said federal budget deliberations are expected to unfold this year, with a new federal budget year beginning in the fall. He said if the effort advances, it could lead to a longer feasibility-style process and extensive coordination among federal, state and local partners.
