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Salt Marsh Adaptation Strategies in Light of Sea Level Rise
Wenley Ferguson Marci Cole Ekberg
RAE Conference November 2014
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Introduction • Impacts observed and quantified through
RISMA and NBNERR – Ponded water – Barren peat – Reduced high marsh habitat – Increased mosquito breeding habitat – Eroding creek and outer marsh edge
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Shallow ponded water
Defined pool in foreground versus shallow standing water
Mosquito breeding habitat
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Barren peat
Narrow high marsh along upland edge
Degraded Spartina alterniflora
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Marsh erosion
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Marsh Loss: Mary’s Creek, Warwick
1995-2013
1995 2013
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Marsh migration
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Winnapaug Pond Marsh
Marsh migration occurring yet impounded water creating mosquito breeding habitat
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Adaptation Strategies • In-Marsh
– Drainage improvements (small creek excavation) – Elevation enhancement
• Upland – Adopt activities that facilitate marsh migration – Change/move land use activities that inhibit marsh
migration – Remove physical barriers
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In marsh adaptation • Small creeks and runnels excavation
– Partners include: municipalities, land trusts, Save The Bay and RIDEM Mosquito Abatement Program
– STB provides project design, permit preparation, organization of volunteers for “dig days”, and restoration monitoring
– RIDEM provides low ground pressure equipment – RI CRMC Habitat Fund and NRCS has provided
funding (range from $5K to $15K)
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Gooseneck Cove adaptive management
Small creeks dug to drain impounded water
2010
2012
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Winnapaug Marsh adaptation project
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2007
Round Marsh, Jamestown, RI
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Round Marsh Adaptation
2012
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Thin layer deposition projects
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– Dept. of the Interior Competitive post-Sandy grant award of $3.25M
– Partners: RI Coastal Resources Management Council, USFWS, Salt Ponds Coalition, Towns of Charlestown and Westerly, Rhode Island, Save The Bay
– Beneficial reuse for marsh restoration at Ninigret Pond, planning for projects in Quonochontaug and Winnapaug Ponds
– Multiple benefits to ecosystem and recreational use
Salt Ponds Region Salt Marsh Restoration--$3.25M
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Adaptation Strategies • In-Marsh
– Drainage improvements (small creek excavation) – Elevation enhancement
• Upland – Adopt activities that facilitate marsh migration – Change/move land use activities that inhibit marsh
migration – Remove physical barriers
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Marsh Migration Facilitation
Old farm path impediment to marsh migration into red maple swamp
Marsh migrating into field
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Bike path in marsh area
Change of upland activity
Mowed marsh area
1995
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Colt State Park, Bristol
1996: marsh mowed
Bike path relocated in late 1990s and “mow line” moved inland
Marsh after path moved
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Infrastructure Removal
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End of road retrofit
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1
Potential area to limit vehicular access
2
Marsh migration into existing infrastructure
Flooding during a moon tide
1
Ponded water at low tide
2
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Land protection to allow marsh migration
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Land protection to allow marsh migration
Salt marsh east of road; land protection of small lots required for road to be closed to vehicular use
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Next Steps • Assess and compare results of runnel and creek
excavation through a BACI design • Design and implement thin layer deposition • Identify areas for land protection for marsh
migration • Identify adaptive management activities in
upland to facilitate marsh migration
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Thank You
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