Poplar Island, in Talbot County, Maryland, illustrates the erosive forces continuing today. In the early 1600s, the island encompassed several hundred acres. Over the centuries, rising sea level eroded the perimeter of Poplar Island. Though still populated by the 1940s, only 200 acres remained and the island had been cut in two. Today, a chain of small islands is all that remains of the original Poplar Island.
Efforts are under way to stabilize the remnant acres.
In addition, the island's original landmass will be rebuilt by creating marshes that will protect the island from further erosion and provide a haven for birds and other wildlife. In contrast, sedimentation also has altered the landscape. By the mid 1700s, some navigable rivers were filled in by sediment as more land was cleared for agriculture. Joppatown, Maryland, once a seaport, is now more than two miles from water. The forces of erosion and sedimentation continue to reshape the details of the Bay.