STEVENSVILLE, MD – The fall season ushered in accolades for one regional marine and foundation contractor who was awarded, not one but two, Excellence in Construction Awards (EIC) from the Chesapeake Shores Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. The EIC Awards recognized the work Dissen & Juhn Company of Stevensville, MD, completed on the Moorings on the Magothy Stone Revetment in Arnold, MD, and Rogues Harbor Breakwater in Elk Neck State Park in Cecil County, MD.
“We were honored to be recognized for these two outstanding projects. These projects are representative of the quality and breadth of the work that we have been doing for more than 50 years,” said Gil W. Dissen, president of Dissen & Juhn. “The talent and commitment of our crews are what sets Dissen & Juhn Company apart from our competitors,” said Mark Dissen, vice president of Dissen & Juhn.
Moorings on the Magothy: Installing nearly 3,000 tons of rip rap
Living by the water poses many benefits and opportunities for homeowners to enjoy the beauty and majesty of nature. However, waterside living can have its drawbacks during storms. Just ask the homeowners at Moorings on the Magothy, a waterfront condominium community in Arnold. The Board of the Moorings on the Magothy Condominium Council needed a plan to replace their deteriorating timber bulkhead to protect their homes. After reaching out to nine marine construction companies, they ultimately hired Dissen & Juhn for the project.
“What I really appreciated about Dissen & Juhn was that, way before we signed the contract, they offered to answer questions during the permitting process. They were very helpful in explaining things the State wanted and giving suggestions on how to approach the issues,” said resident and retired U.S. Navy oceanographer and meteorologist Dr. Denny Whitford.
Whitford worked with Judy Brannen, who lives in one home near the pier and stone revetment, and was president of the Condominium Council during the construction time of the project. “Dissen & Juhn was great to work with and very communicative. Any time we had a question and needed to walk the property, which honestly was a lot, they responded. If I texted Mark (Dissen) the night before about something. Mark would be here at 7 a.m. to meet me,” she added.
The project included installing approximately 2,820 tons of rip rap against the existing north, east, and beach bulkheads. The stone revetment design included a wave apron, which dissipates residual wave energy and splash that tops the revetment to help mitigate erosion.
Dissen & Juhn also furnished and installed 215 LF of new timber bulkhead as part of the project, and a 10’W x 261’L fixed timber pier with a 10’W x 40’L “L-shaped” platform, a 10’W x 4’L swim platform, and a 10’ W x 42’L boardwalk landside of the revetment with a “L-shaped” platform.
“What I like about the Moorings on the Magothy project is that the job was originally designed one way, and what was actually delivered to the client was something different. We were able to trim a substantial amount of cost out of the price by changing the design from all timber to primarily rock,” said Gil W. Dissen.
Rogues Harbor Breakwater: Building a safe harbor for boaters
The second award-winning project, Rogues Harbor Breakwater, was also focused on protection, but this time for boaters and water enthusiasts. Dissen & Juhn Company was tasked with calming the waters surrounding the boat launch facility on the Elk River. The launch is precariously located near the river’s main channel, a long 5-mile stretch, which also happens to be a well-traveled shipping lane for freighters traveling between the Chesapeake Bay and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. These factors literally created a perfect storm for boaters during launching and loading activities.
When the Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) undertook the project, it assessed the feasibility of constructing two stone breakwaters, one on each side of the boat ramp. However, the study determined that the amount of stone required would have a substantial impact on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). DGS decided that the preferred design alternative would be a combination of timber breakwaters and stone reinforcement, protecting their facility from damaging floating debris and ice while creating a safe haven for boaters. Dissen & Juhn was hired to execute the new design.
“This project took place in an area that has very prevalent submerged aquatic vegetation which is a highly protected habitat in the Chesapeake Bay. That area has some of the healthiest SAV in the north Bay, so the solution that is typically done in this case (stone breakwaters) had to be modified so that we would limit impacts to this important habitat,” says Anna Johnson, Coastal Engineer at BayLand Consultants & Designers, Inc.
The project included furnishing and installing 597 LF of timber breakwater to enclose the existing boat ramp with protective breakwaters - 295 LF on the north side of the boat ramp and 302 LF on the south side of the boat ramp with a 60’ wide opening to the main channel of the Elk River and furnishing and installing 295 LF of armor stone protection, with an average bottom width of 15’, on the north side of the breakwater to help dissipate wave energy. To round out the project the Dissen & Juhn crews performed Phragmites eradication and marsh plantings to mitigate SAV impacts.
Like many waterside construction projects, the Rogues Harbor Breakwater came with numerous challenges, not the least of which was a tight construction timeline. Due to the presence of SAV and anadromous fish habitat in the Elk River the construction window for pile driving was limited to June 16 through February 14 only.
“Despite working in a narrow construction window during several significant winter storm events and the coldest average winter temperatures in six years in the Chesapeake Bay region, our crews ultimate drove 405 Class B piles, ranging from 40’ to 50,’ said Gil Dissen. “The crews also relocated an Osprey nest that was in the project footprint, and finished the project in time for the 2026 boating season,” he added.
Dissen & Juhn Company, a leader in marine construction for over 50 years, serves public and private sector clients in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, the Potomac River, and northern Virginia region. The firm is a second generation, family-owned full-service marine and foundation contractor that has built a solid reputation as an agile, customer-focused small company with heavy construction capabilities rarely found in a firm of its size. For more information or to learn about job openings, call (410) 604-1802 or (888) 578-5779, visit dissen-juhn.com or connect on facebook.com/DissenJuhnCompany.
PHOTO (Moorings Aerial; Supplied by Dissen & Juhn Company) Aerial view of the completed Moorings on the Magothy project.
PHOTO (Rogues Harbor Breakwater Aerial)
The completed Rogues Harbor breakwater shields the popular boat launch from wind driven waves and ship wakes to create a safer launching environment. CREDIT: Shore Studios
PHOTO (Awards presentation) Celebrating at the 2026 Chesapeake Shores Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors awards banquet are Dissen & Juhn Company staff. From left, are: Sarah Crane, Sales & Marketing Account Specialist; Lori Ireland, Office Manager; Gil W. Dissen, President; and Mary Troiano, Administrative Assistant. Note: Dissen & Juhn Company owns the photos supplied here and grants consent for them to be reprinte
