Massachusetts has 47,000 acres of salt marshes—one of the most productive and carbon rich ecosystems on Earth. Yet many of these marshes are degraded and increasingly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Over 87% of Massachusetts marshes have been ditched, resulting in significant vegetation and carbon loss. By protecting and restoring salt marshes, we boost their ability to store and sequester carbon and support the Commonwealth's climate and biodiversity goals.
About DFG's Blue Carbon Program
In 2025, Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game launched the first Blue Carbon Program for salt marshes in the country. We brought together experts at the forefront of salt marsh restoration, blue carbon research, and financial incentives to explore developing a voluntary credit program to support salt marsh restoration and protection. DFG is working towards enroll 4,000—6,500 acres in the program by 2030.
Feasibility Study Findings
Salt marsh restoration in Massachusetts can generate measurable climate benefits while unlocking new pathways for sustainable financing through integrating blue carbon into long-term coastal management and resiliency strategies.
The feasibility study determined there are substantial opportunities for large-scale salt marsh restoration in Massachusetts, particularly through ditch remediation and runneling methods, and potential for the sale of carbon credits through the voluntary markets to support this important work. Current research is focused on data gaps related to carbon emissions in degraded and restored salt marshes and impacts of legacy ditching on carbon storage. A full summary of this feasibility study is coming soon.
Restoration Techniques
- Ditch remediation is a restoration method that promotes healing of legacy agricultural and Great Depression-era mosquito control drainage ditches. Drainage ditches lower the water table, accelerating peat breakdown and causing the marsh platform to subside and retain water. To halt this decline, practitioners mow marsh vegetation and stake it in place within ditches. This process helps to trap sediment, encourages regrowth of marsh vegetation, and helps the ditches gradually close, restoring a more natural marsh hydrology.
- Runnels are shallow, channels that are used to drain standing water from the marsh surface. This water can be trapped due to legacy modifications of the marsh, like agricultural embankments, as well as clogged ditches. Smaller in size than ditches, runnels improve drainage and support revegetation. Material excavated during runnel construction can be used to build marsh habitat mounds. These slightly elevated areas provide important nesting habitat for birds like the state-listed Saltmarsh Sparrow, a species at risk of extinction due to frequent nest flooding driven by sea-level rise.
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| Date published: | February 1, 2026 |
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