Marsh Drainage Restoration
Historic mosquito ditching has resulted in alternating the hydrology and Drainage, reducing marsh resilience to sea-level rise. The Partnership has been monitoring marsh loss in Great Marsh since 2015 and is prioritizing problem areas for mitigation measures and Living Shorelines such as ditch in-filling, drainage runnels, ditch plug removal, think layer deposition, shellfish reefs, and other natural and nature-based solutions.
Extensive ditching to control mosquitos and ancient farming practices have resulted in two processes that reduce marsh health to combat Sea Level Rise (SLR):
- Over draining of the marsh
- Standing water on the marsh
Work is being performed using several techniques to help manage the hydrology of the marsh in ditched areas.
- Ditch infilling with native marsh vegetation
- Creation of drainage runnels and shallow surface swales to drain excess water from expanded marsh platform pools and mega-pools.
- Removing Ditch-plugs created under previous management practices.
The Partnership will further identify and prioritize areas for ditch infilling/ditch plug removal and runneling. We are also investigating the feasibility of adding sediment to the marsh (thin-layer placement) to increase the marsh surface elevation to enable plants to thrive under conditions of rising sea level
Protection and restoration of the Great Marsh is made possible with support from our local communities.
Sustaining the longevity and viability of our work in The Great Marsh would not be possible without the support of local, state, and national community partners. If you’d like to volunteer or become a sustaining member, you can support us using the link below.