coastal weland management and adaptation straegies

Methods, Partnerships and Resources

SLAMM Municipal Workshop October 26 & 28, 2014

Adaptation Strategies Upland

Changing / moving land use activities that inhibit marsh migration

Adopting activities that facilitate marsh migration Removal of physical barriers

In-Marsh

Drainage improvements (runnel / creek excavation) Elevation enhancement Erosion control along marsh edge

Elevation enhancement using dredged materials

photo: USACE

photo: DNREC

Elevation enhancement using dredged materials

Living Shorelines Use of “soft” materials to reduce erosion of marsh bank

Photo: The Nature Conservancy

Image Source: NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources

How can SLAMM Results inform Restoration? Project Prioritization

Critical wetlands analysis

Restoration Strategy Development

Where should we invest now? Which habitats are in danger

of disappearing? Which will persist?

Illustration of the “do nothing” alternative

Important for permitting process, project design and

evaluation

From “Blackwater 2100: A Strategy for Salt Marsh Persistence in an Era of Climate Change”

Current Projects Narrow River Estuary Restoration--$1.8M Post-Sandy Dept. of the Interior funding to US Fish

and Wildlife Service Refuge System Project team developed recommendations for

restoration actions within Narrow River Estuary Project includes Beneficial Re-use / Thin Layer Deposition Micro-creek / runnel excavation Marsh edge enhancement via living shoreline

techniques

SLAMM Results for Middlebridge on Narrow River at 3’ SLR

Current Projects Salt Ponds Region Salt Marsh Restoration--$3.25M Dept. of the Interior Competitive post-Sandy grants

program Partners: CRMC, USFWS, Salt Ponds Coalition,

Towns of Charlestown and Westerly, 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

SLAMM Results for Ninigret Marsh at 3’ SLR

Funding Sources RI Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust

Fund Pre-proposals currently being accepted Coastal resiliency focus for FY2015 Typical awards $5000 to $50,000 www.crmc.ri.gov/habitatrestoration.html

Federal Resiliency Funding Multiple sources (NOAA, DOI, FEMA)

cchaffee@crmc.ri.gov wferguson@savebay.org