John Smith Water Trail

Listen to the Water

The fourth 'smart buoy' of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail was deployed Saturday off Stingray Point. Left, members of the Army Corps of Engineers lift the new buoy into the water.

Fourth Buoy to be Deployed Saturday

Join the Deltaville Maritime Museum in celebrating the 400th anniversary of Capt. John Smith's infamous landing at Stingray Point, VA. A reenactment of the landing is scheduled for July 17. It will be repeated on July 19 along with the official deployment of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail's fourth Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy. These unique "smart" buoys provide real-time weather and water observations along with historical and interpretive information at locations along the Trail. Their information can be accessed by RSS feed, mobile browser, or phone at 1-877-BUOYBAY.

We Need Your Support for 'Smart Buoy' Funding

Thanks to the leadership of Senator Barbara Mikulski- D-MD, (pictured on left) and the support of Senators Warner-R-VA, Cardin-D-MD and Webb-D-VA, the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill includes $500,000 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) and deploy more buoys along the trail that promote awareness of the Bay's condition and its history. The buoys mark significant points along the John Smith Trail and provides real-time meteorological, oceanographic, and water-quality information. (www.buoybay.org, 877-BUOYBAY).

Please write your Senators and thank them for the Senate's support for the $500,000 for the buoys included in the Senate bill. In particular, please thank Senator Mikulski for beating back an amendment that would have stripped these funds from the bill. Also, please write your U.S. Representative and communicate your support to include the $500,000 for the CBIBS program in the CJS appropriations conference report.