Beach Rules

Documents etc. — Beach Rules and Safety Tips  (printable copy)

1) Swim at your own risk. No lifeguard is on duty at our beach.

2) Water quality – enter the water at your own risk. The Chesapeake Station beach water quality is monitored as part of the Maryland Healthy Beaches program and results are posted online (leaving site).  We advise that you visit the site prior to entering the water to help ensure the safety of you and your loved ones.  Nevertheless monitoring is not done on a daily basis, so even when the site indicates water status “OK”, it may not reflect the most current conditions.

Experts suggest avoiding the water if you have open cuts or sores. For more information on flesh eating bacteria, visit these links:

3) Bon fires, camp fires and open flames are not allowed in the Town of Chesapeake Beach including our beach.

4) Leave nothing behind except your foot prints. Please take everything you bring to the beach back home with you, especially trash and pet waste.

5) Pets must remain on leash at all times. It is a County and Town law, as well as the safe and considerate thing to do.

6) Fishing is not permitted from the sand beach area where lost tackle would present a hazard to barefoot beach goers.  Fishing is allowed along the rocky berm bordering the bay with appropriate fishing licenses. However please stay at least 20 yards from the sand beach while fishing.

7) Illegal, suspicious or dangerous activity should be reported to the Sheriff’s Office. Depending on the circumstances, call 911 or the Sheriff’s non-emergency number (410-535-2800). Don’t put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation by confronting people engaged in these activities. That’s the job of law enforcement.

While the CSHOA Board has no policing authority, we do ask that you notify us if you do call law enforcement so that we can track trends in the neighborhood, follow-up with officials as appropriate, and keep community members informed of ongoing issues, as needed.

8) The beach is for the use and enjoyment of all CSHOA members and residents, and their guests. There are 108 homes in Chesapeake Station. Factoring in members, residents, their families and guests there could easily be 400-500 people who may use our common grounds, including the beach, each summer season! So it is likely that you will see new faces at the beach on occasion.

The beach and other common grounds may be used to enjoy wedding receptions, graduation parties and other special occasions. To help prevent well-meaning neighbors from disturbing your celebrations with unnecessary questions, we ask that you notify the CSHOA Board at least three weeks in advance of your event so that we can notify members and ask them to avoid the area if possible. We also ask that the resident hosting the activity place a sign or placard at the site with a copy of the email so that potential misunderstandings can be avoided and interlopers more easily identified.

9) Potential trespassers. It is not the responsibility of HOA members and residents to confront potential trespassers directly.  If you are concerned about a potential trespasser engaged in an illegal, suspicious or dangerous activity, call law enforcement.  If you see a new face at the beach, or using other common grounds, and are concerned about trespassing and wish to inquire, then please treat them as a neighbor first and a potential trespasser second, because they may have just as much right to be there as you do. Don’t rush over and blurt out – “This is a private property. Do you live here?”  It does not create a pleasant conversational dynamic, regardless of intentions.  In fact, it will probably lead to a verbal confrontation.

Instead, greet them in friendly manner. For example, use a more open approach and say something like: “Hi, my name is Bob and I live over in Arcade Court. I haven’t seen you at the beach before; are you new to the neighborhood? I like to take every opportunity to get to know my neighbors in the community better. . .” Chances are, with a more open approach like this, they will be more likely to reciprocate and provide you with their name and affiliation to the neighborhood.

If after attempting to engage in friendly conversation you find that they are evasive or confrontational leading you to believe that they are trespassing, then go home and call the Sheriff’s Office and report it.

If they admit to not belonging in the neighborhood, then politely let them know it is a private beach. You can also give them directions to the nearest public beaches. Again if they become belligerent or argumentative, don’t try to force them to leave; go home and call law enforcement.