March 2005 Update

The exceptional weather this winter has made most outdoor activities quite difficult (except for sledding and skiing of course). Through it all, restoration efforts have continued with the completion of several projects and progress on other fronts. The Wetlands Restoration Program has kept busy – both indoors and out – coordinating construction activities, advancing active projects, hiring a new staff member, selecting priority projects, and planning for restoration in the Great Marsh region. Updates on these activities are provided below.

We are very pleased to announce that Jeremy Bell has been hired as a Wetland Restoration Specialist and will join the CZM-WRP team in mid-March. Jeremy hails from the state of Washington where he obtained his masters degree at Evergreen State College and worked for the Wetland Plant Cooperative Nursery and the King Conservation District managing aquatic habitat restoration projects. Since April 2003, he has been working as a Habitat Analyst for the Massachusetts Audubon Society on a service contract with the MA Department of Fish & Wildlife. Jeremy arrives at WRP with great enthusiasm for our mission and brings with him well-rounded education and experience in natural sciences, aquatic habitat restoration, project management, field work, and GIS skills. He will be a valuable addition to the WRP team.

Over the past month, contractors have worked under very difficult conditions to

install a new culvert at the Quivett Creek restoration site. Winter storms with flood tides, ice-overs, and many feet of snow have made construction challenging to say the least. The project team persevered however, and the new culvert was successfully installed in the middle of February. It replaces an old, failing culvert beneath an abandoned road and will enhance tidal flow to 11 acres of highly degraded salt marsh. Final site stabilization and cleanup will be completed shortly, while re-planting of native vegetation in exposed areas is scheduled for this spring. Over time, greater tidal flushing and increased salinity will help restore native vegetation and healthy habitat conditions. The new culvert will also improve anadromous fish passage to an upstream spawning pond and provide increased flood-control for upstream properties.

The Quivett Creek Restoration Project is a joint effort between the Towns of Dennis and Brewster, with funding assistance provided by the following: Gulf of Maine Council - NOAA Partnership Grant, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant (USFWS - NOAA Partnership), NRCS - Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program funding, Conservation Law Foundation - Restore America's Estuaries - NOAA Partnership Grant, Fish America Foundation - NOAA Partnership Grant, and a donation by The Louis Berger Group through the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP).

At the end of 2004, construction was completed at the Old Town Hill restoration project in

Newbury. The site consists of a gravel road across salt marsh that provides access to the Trustees of Reservations Old Town Hill Property. Although shallow in depth, the access road restricted the flow of tidal water across the marsh surface to approximately 4 acres of upstream habitat. The restoration project constructed three shallow swales along the road, restoring tidal flows to the restricted salt marsh. The Trustees of Reservations partnered with Beals and Thomas, Inc. (through the CWRP), WRP, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Gulf of Maine Council through a NOAA partnership grant.

In December 2004, contractors removed an old culvert that restricted tidal flow at

the Mallard Road site and replaced it with a new, larger culvert to restore tidal flushing to 1 acre of degraded salt marsh. Combined with the first project phase that removed areas of fill from the marsh surface, these efforts have set the stage for substantial improvement of habitat conditions at the site. Increased tidal flushing and salinity levels will help reduce invasive species, restore native vegetation, and support a healthier salt marsh system. The project was sponsored by the City of Quincy with support from the Houghs Neck Salt Marsh Committee, NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program, and WRP. See this NOAA web site for an award announcement honoring the community support for this restoration project.

This project is located on the Mass Audubon Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary and was

originally identified as a restoration opportunity in the 2002 Buzzards Bay Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes. The site consists of approximately 6.7 acres of salt marsh that was tidally-restricted by an under-sized culvert and private road that crossed the tidal creek. The upstream marsh was degraded from lack of tidal flushing and invasive Phragmites. In late 2004, Mass Audubon partnered with the Buzzards Bay Project, Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, and NRCS to replace the old pipe with four new culverts that pass the full tidal range into the upstream salt marsh. The enhanced tidal range and flushing will help restore healthy marsh conditions and reduce the coverage of invasive plants.

In November 2004, WRP accepted sixteen sites as designated priority projects. These sites are now eligible to receive contracted technical assistance funded by WRP. See the Priority Projects page for more information including a location map and aerial images of each site.

WRP is working with the Massachusetts Riverways Program and the Town of

Somerset to investigate restoration options for two adjacent road crossings on Labor in Vain Brook and a tide gate on an upstream skating pond. These sites were identified in Riverway's River Continuity Study and in the Mount Hope Bay Tidal Restriction Atlas and may offer restoration opportunities for both degraded riverine and salt marsh habitats. The tide gate and two brook culverts restrict tidal flows into upstream salt marshes. Up to 25 acres of salt marsh may be affected. A consultant will conduct a restoration feasibility study for the sites. Results of the study will be reviewed by the town and others to determine next steps.

In the fall of 2004, WRP contracted with the Army Corps of Engineers to study the

feasibility of restoring tidal flushing to a 45-acre irrigation impoundment on the Palmer River. Identified in the Mount Hope Bay Tidal Restriction Atlas, this site may offer an opportunity to restore historic intertidal habitats if alternative irrigation sources can be practicably developed. Restoration options may include removal of the impoundment water control structure and portions of the dike. The Corps completed an internal draft of the report in February, and the final report should be available in the next few months. WRP will meet with the property owner and town officials to discuss the results and possible next steps for project development.

The Mattapoisett Neck restoration project is set to receive a funding boost from the

Bouchard No. 120 oil spill fines through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The NAWCA Council has recommended up to $40,000 in funding for this project as part of a larger award for multiple Massachusetts projects. The project goal is to increase tidal flow to 21 acres of degraded salt marsh by removing a failing culvert and part of an abandoned road that crosses the tidal creek. A final NAWCA award decision is scheduled for early March. In addition to this pending partnership with USFWS through the NAWCA program, the Town of Mattapoisett is also receiving assistance through partnerships with WRP, Buzzards Bay Project, and NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

Remote analysis and preliminary field reconnaissance are now complete for potential coastal wetland restoration sites in the Great Marsh region. Work to date has produced a draft inventory of over 150 sites that may offer restoration opportunities for degraded or former coastal wetlands. The next phase of the planning effort will focus on outreach to town officials, regional groups, and other

restoration partners to review and obtain feedback on identified sites and to discuss remaining planning steps and development of restoration projects.

Once review of the draft inventory is complete, a consulting firm under contract with WRP will conduct rapid technical field assessments for 25-30 of the most promising sites. The assessments will collect information such as tidal range surveys, habitat evaluations, and options for restoration. The consultant's report will be combined with information on other potential sites to produce a draft restoration plan. The draft plan will then be released for public comment and revised as necessary. A final restoration plan will be located on the web and will be updated periodically. WRP will continue to work with towns and other partners to advance potential sites toward restoration through education and outreach, project development and coordination, and pursuit of funding for design and construction.

In 2002, WRP completed the New Bedford Harbor Environment Wetlands Restoration Plan under contract with the New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council. The Plan identifies many important opportunities to restore historically-filled and tidally-restricted salt marshes and freshwater wetlands. Since that time, the Trustee Council, NOAA Restoration Center, WRP, and other partners have worked diligently with landowners and local communities to advance some of the most promising sites toward restoration. Currently there are two sites from the Plan that have received restoration funds from the Council for feasibility studies and other necessary technical work: