The northern two-thirds of Assateague Island are in Maryland and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Sinepuxent Bay to the west. Assateague Island is a 37 mile long barrier island that stretches across Maryland and Virginia. Its unspoiled beaches, famous ponies, natural beauty and calm environment are very alluring. Once a year in July, the local "salt water cowboys" round them up and sort a number of animals to be removed from the island, which are put up for auction on Pony Penning Day.Assateague Island used to be a pretty well-kept secret, but that secret has gotten out in recent years and for good reason. In Virginia, the Chincoteague ponies are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. The Maryland horses are owned and managed by the National Park Service, who have carefully followed the population over generations. For a natural resource brief, please click here. Made famous by Marguerite Henry in her children's book Misty of Chincoteague, the animals are popular tourist attractions and subjects for photography. When excess numbers are removed from the island and they are placed into human ownership, they adapt quickly to domestication. Though commonly called "wild," these horses had domesticated ancestors, claimed in legend to be survivors of a Spanish galleon that shipwrecked along the coast, but possibly just local colonial horses allowed to run loose. The Maryland and Virginia horses are kept apart by fencing at the border between the two states. The National Park Service provides information about these animals through brochures and the internet. It is argued that their relatively small size is primarily due to environmental, rather than genetic conditions. The equines on the island tend to be under 14.2, but have a horse phenotype. The traditional definition of a horse or a pony is based on whether the animal in question falls over or under 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). This distinction, made both on per-breed and per-individual basis, is sometimes a matter of disagreement. The feral horse population of Assateague Island is alternately known as the Assateague horse in Maryland and the Chincoteague Pony in Virginia. The piping plover is a threatened species that nests on Assateague. These include gulls, terns, and other shorebirds along with raptors, waterbirds, and waterfowl. There are over 320 species that are known to inhabit the island during some portion of the year. Large populations of birds inhabit the island, including American oystercatcher, great blue heron, and snowy egret. Geological Survey has initiated studies aimed at mitigating the potential sea-level rise on this barrier island complex. The United Nations has designated Assateague as a World Biosphere Reserve. The Refuge was established in 1943 to provide habitat for migratory birds, primarily snow geese. All of the island south of the state border in Virginia is the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, with the exception of a one-mile stretch of land including the recreational beach and interpretive facilities managed by the NPS. Department of the Interior has designated it a National Natural Landmark. The national seashore was established in 1965 to preserve the barrier island and surrounding waters, and provide recreational opportunities. All of the land on the island north of the Maryland-Virginia state line is the Assateague Island National Seashore, with the exception of the smaller Assateague State Park. The entirety of Assateague Island is owned and operated by three different agencies: the National Park Service, Maryland State Parks, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service. While this process has benefitted Ocean City, creating wider beaches and better fishing access, it caused erosion problems on Assateague.Ĭhincoteague National Wildlife Refuge with lighthouse in distance As a result, the island has drifted considerably westward, and the two landmasses are now over 0.62 miles (1.00 km) apart. However, after the storm, between 19 a permanent system of artificial jetties was built to preserve the inlet as a navigation channel. Normally, it would have silted back due to the littoral drift that ran from north to south. However, the 1933 Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane created an inlet south of Ocean City, Maryland. At one time, the island was connected to the lowest point of Fenwick Island. The structure of barrier islands is determined by movement of sand in the littoral zone, the land-facing side of the island. Like all barrier islands, Assateague has changed in form over the years.
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