Marsh Restoration to Begin at Rocky Neck and in New Haven
Bride Brook, Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme: This piece of marshland along Bride Brook, which is the second largest herring run in Connecticut, suffers from water flow issues, which are due in part to freshwater waterlogging.
Save the Sound and members of the state’s Congressional delegation were pleased to receive news today that two salt marsh restoration projects coordinated by Save the Sound would get a big boost from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) portion of the federal stimulus package. NOAA will be awarding $1.5 million through their Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants to two Save the Sound projects, the West River tidal gate replacement in New Haven and the Bride Brook culvert replacement at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. These projects will have an enormous environmental impact through the restoration of marshland that is home to bird and fish species critical to the Long Island Sound ecosystem, and will enhance the eight billion dollar Sound economy by providing better water quality for the traditional industries reliant upon it, as well as creating new area jobs.
“This is incredible news for Connecticut,” said Chris Cryder, Director of Habitat Restoration for Save the Sound. “These restoration projects will greatly improve the marshland habitat that feeds the Long Island Sound ecosystem. We are thankful that our elected officials recognized that these environmental projects are a priority - not just because they improve our landscape and quality of life - but also because there are economic benefits to be gained by a healthy and vibrant Long Island Sound.”
"This restoration project is a perfect example of the enormous benefits we are seeing from the economic recovery act,” said U.S. Senator Chris Dodd. “It will put people in southeastern Connecticut back to work on projects that have significant local and regional environmental benefits. This project will restore over 100 acres of critical wetlands in New Haven and East Lyme, complementing and enhancing regional efforts to protect Long Island Sound. The selection of this project from the more than 800 applications submitted demonstrates their tremendous importance in preserving Connecticut’s natural environment.”
The West River tide gate project in urban New Haven is the longer running of the two projects with a start date of July 2009 and an anticipated end date in the summer of 2010. Originally built to protect upstream infrastructure from flooding, these outdated and degrading colonial-era tide gates now protect Memorial Park for the many residents and park visitors. West River’s gates allow water flow in only one direction which creates marsh stagnation, a thriving habitat for invasive grasses, and poor quality water that cannot readily sustain marine life. The NOAA grant will allow construction workers and scientists to replace the existing gates with self-regulating tide gates that will allow water from Long Island Sound to flush the marsh, freshening the habitat, restoring the original ecosystem balance, and allowing fish easier passage to breeding grounds.
This area of Bride Brook, north of the culvert as the water enters into the marsh system looking north, is home to some invasive species. As freshwater becomes more abundant in the area, the risk of invasive species is much more threatening to native grasses and reeds.
Bride Brook, the second project, is part of Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. Despite its small size, Bride Brook is a wholly unique marine system that hosts the second largest migration fish run in the state, bested only by the Connecticut River. The Bride Brook project will restore a salt marsh system and spawning ground for alewives and herring by replacing a collapsing and occluded culvert with an open channel and large box culvert that is more hospitable to fish and marsh wildlife. The Bride Brook project is of a larger scope - in addition to the culvert replacement, over 20 acres of dune habitat will be replanted with native vegetation, and a new pedestrian and emergency vehicle passage will allow access to the eastern part of the park.
“Protecting and preserving our environment is a responsibility I take very seriously as a U.S. Senator and I am thrilled that the NOAA has recognized the need to assist efforts to restore lake and marsh habitat in New Haven and East Lyme. I am confident that these projects will make Connecticut an even better place to live,” said Senator Joe Lieberman.
Jeff Benoit, President of Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), a Washington organization dedicated to preserving coastal habitat said, “These are projects that are not only great for the environment, but at the same time help create jobs in the local community at a time when it absolutely vital. It is essential for the nation to continue investing in the restoration of critical coastal habitats that are key to our local and regional economies.”
The two projects are expected to create and retain more than 80 jobs primarily in construction, engineering, surveying and labor. Save the Sound’s $1.5 million grant award was part of $4 million that came into the state through the NOAA Recovery Act funds. The second project, coordinated by the Department of Environmental Protection, will restore 32 miles of the Naugatuck River.
"I am delighted that with these grants we will be able to restore the natural surroundings of the marsh and open river and lake habitat on the West River and Bride Brook lake, as well as the Tingue Dam Bypass and Naugatuck River. This two efforts are but two examples of how we are being good stewards of our economy and protecting these ecosystems for future generations," said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
Save the Sound is a regional program of New Haven-based Connecticut Fund for the Environment.
