New Hampshire Salt Marsh Restoration

In collaboration with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Northeast Wetland Restoration, CCS has been subcontracted to contribute to the biogeochemical analysis of a restored salt marsh ecosystem within Meadow Pond Marsh in Hampton New Hampshire. UNH research scientist Dr. David M. Burdick has established a two-year study to examine the response of invasive species to a series of adaptive management strategies including open water management, herbicide application, direct planting and other techniques to re-establish a dominant native salt marsh plant community.
 

Meadow Pond Marsh is the northern extremity of the largest marsh complex in New Hampshire: the Hampton Seabrook Marsh. The marsh is located landward of a highly developed barrier beach system and obtains tidal flow through a small inlet at its southern terminus. Up until 1995, this inlet was woefully inadequate to support full tidal exchange and was designated by the USDA as severely restricted (USDA 1994). The marsh and lagoon system was dominated by cattail and common reed (Phragmites australis; hereafter Phragmites). In 1995 a new bridge was constructed as large as possible (given the constraints posed by human development at the inlet) to alleviate the tidal restriction and restore health to the marsh.

Currently, small areas of Phragmites have been killed and displaced by native vegetation at the southern end of the marsh, near the inlet. However, the majority of the system remains dominated by Phragmites. Furthermore, the Phragmites appears to be thriving, with canopy heights ranging from 2 to 3+ meters. Thus we propose a second tier of restoration activities to reduce the density and dominance of Phragmites in the northern extreme of the system. Furthermore, this work will also to determine the most efficient approach to removal in this and other back-barrier marsh systems.