417Site ID:EssexTown:1.6Acres:YesRapid Technical Site Assessment:RestrictionFillAgricultureOtherCompleted ProjectLowPriority:Site consists of a small ~1.5-acre area of marsh east of Island Road that is owned by the MA Department of Fish and Wildlife. The marsh is bounded to the east by an old farm road. A culvert beneath Island Road conveys tidal flow to the site from the marsh west of the road. GIS analysis and site observation indicate that the marsh does not drain well and remains in an impounded / flooded condition with fresh / brackish water for significant periods. Sheet flow to the site is also blocked by both Island Road and the old farm road bed. The culvert beneath Island Road is an 18-inch clay pipe that is partially clogged and contributes to the impounded conditions. The site is popular with birders and may provide high-value habitat for certain bird species. The marsh within the impounded area may be subsiding due to saturated peat conditions. Further assessment is needed to evaluate the ecological condition of the site and potential benefits and detriments of restoring full tidal exchange. Restoration actions could first clean out the Island Road culvert and associated ditch system to enhance tidal flows. The culvert could also be replaced with a larger structure, combined again with ditch cleaning, to increase tidal hydrology. Finally, alone or in combination with the previous two options, the old farm road crossing the marsh east of the site could be breached or removed completely, and ditches extended to restore full tidal flows from the east and north. Restoration potential is considered low based on the relatively small area of opportunity and the current popularity of the site for birding, which might preclude support for altering the current open water habitat that attracts birds in large numbers. Further assessment is needed of the various options mentioned above. See the Rapid Site Assessment for further details.Site Summary:Under DevelopmentImpact Type(s)StatusPotential Project
