Note: This section of the web site
is still under development and will be
expanded in the future to provide more detailed information
including examples of monitoring programs and project
results.
Monitoring is a critical component of
all wetland restoration projects. Without it, there is
no way to  evaluate the progress of a site under restoration.
A project monitoring program measures and documents the
changes that occur at a site over time in response to restoration
treatments. This information is used
to assess the progression of site conditions toward pre-defined
goals and, if necessary, to develop and implement post-treatment
corrections.
Monitoring allows restoration
partners to determine the success of restoration
treatments by comparing data collected from the
project site to pre-treatment baseline conditions and
to data collected from nearby reference
sites. This comparison tracks changing wetland conditions
and helps demonstrate the achievement of restoration goals.
It also provides science-based information to interested
parties and can help refine techniques that
improve future restoration efforts.
 There
are four primary controlling factors for
restoring wetland health: hydrology (extent
and duration of flooding/saturation), water quality, and the characteristics of soil
and vegetation.
Monitoring
programs use simple measures as indicators for
each of these factors. Typical measures for
salt marsh restoration projects include tidal hydrology,
vegetation, soil porewater salinity, water chemistry, and
site use by fish and birds. Project sites are
monitored prior to construction and for several years
after construction. Once enough data are collected, comparisons
can be made between pre- and post-construction site
conditions and between the restored wetland and a nearby
reference wetland.
 WRP project sites are usually monitored
by project sponsors, school groups, volunteers, and/or
CZM/WRP staff. WRP-assisted projects have benefited greatly
from monitoring data collected by Mass. Audubon's Salt
Marsh Science Project, Salem Sound Coastwatch's WHAT Project,
and the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod's volunteer salt marsh monitoring program.
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