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Salt Marsh Sites

 

In 2003 APCC launched a volunteer salt marsh monitoring program to assess the health of tidally restricted salt marshes on Cape Cod. The list of project sites, developed in consultation with Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, consists of tidally restricted salt marshes that are slated for restoration. Ideally APCC monitors salt marsh sites for up to three years prior to tidal restoration. After tidal restoration APCC monitors for three consecutive years and then again at the five and ten year mark. The monitoring program focuses on four areas of study: salinity, vegetation, birds and fish. Changes in these parameters occur over a span of several years, which is why APCC monitors for several years after tidal restoration has occurred.

 
Bass Creek - Yarmouth

Bass Creek salt marsh is located in Yarmouth. It was tidally restored (culvert removed) in the spring of 2008 bringing tidal inundation to 37 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers conducted pre-restoration monitoring at this site from 2003 to 2007. Monitoring for post-restoration data was done from 2008 to 2010.  We monitor for salinity, vegetation, birds and fish at this site. Click HERE to see the results of the Bass Creek restoration.

 

 

Bridge Creek - Barnstable

Bridge Creek salt marsh is located in Barnstable. It is a unique site in that it had two points of tidal restriction, one under the railroad tracks and the second under Route 6A. The restoration occurred in a phased approach.  The tidal restriction under the railroad tracks was enlarged in 2002, and then in 2005 the tidal restriction under Route 6A was enlarged bringing tidal inundation to 40 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers collected two years of pre-restoration data in 2003 and 2004. After tidal restoration APCC collected data from 2005 to 2008 and then again in 2010. At this site we monitor for salinity, vegetation and birds. Click HERE to see the results of the Bridge Creek restoration.



Dyer Prince - Eastham


Dyer Prince salt marsh is located in Eastham. There are 12 acres of degraded salt marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set. APCC has collected pre-restoration data in 2010 and will monitor again in 2011. We monitor for salinity, vegetation, birds and fish.

 

 



Freemans Pond - Brewster

Freemans Pond salt marsh is located in Brewster. There are 8 acres of degraded salt marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set. APCC has collected pre-restoration data in 2003, 2004 and 2010. We monitor for salinity and vegetation at this site. In 2011, APCC will monitor for fish.

 

 

 


Herring River- Wellfleet

Herring River salt marsh is located in Wellfleet. There are 1,100 acres of degraded salt marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set. APCC collected pre-restoration salinity data in 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Bird data was also collected at this site in 2006 and 2007.

 

 

 


Mayo Creek - Wellfleet

Mayo Creek salt marsh is located in Wellfleet. There are 20 acres of degraded salt marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set.  APCC collected pre-restoration data in 2010. At this site we monitor for salinity and vegetation.

 

 


Namskaket Creek - Brewster

Namskaket Creek salt marsh is located on the Brewster/Orleans town line. This site was tidally restored (culvert enlarged) in January of 2007 bringing tidal inundation to 10 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers monitored for pre-restoration data in 2006. Post-restoration data was collected in 2007, 2008 and 2009. APCC will return to this marsh in 2011. We monitor for salinity, vegetation and birds at this site. 

 

 

Parkers River - Yarmouth
Parkers River salt marsh is located in Yarmouth. There are 35 acres of degraded marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set. APCC collected pre-restoration salinity data in 2010 and will collect fish and salinity data in 2011.

Quivett Creek - Dennis

Quivett Creek is located on the Dennis/Brewster town line. This site was tidally restored (culvert enlarged) in the spring of 2005 bringing tidal restoration to 11 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers collected pre-restoration data in 2003 and 2004. Monitoring for post-restoration data was done from 2005 to 2008.  APCC will monitor this site again in 2011. We monitor for salinity, vegetation and fish at this site.

 

 

 

Red River- Harwich

Red River salt marsh is located in Harwich. There are 15 acres of degraded salt marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set. APCC and its team of volunteers collected pre-restoration data in 2010. We monitor salinity and vegetation at this site.

 

 

 

Rushy Marsh - Barnstable


Rushy Marsh Pond salt marsh is located in Barnstable. There are 9 acres of degraded salt marsh at this site. The date for restoration has not been set. APCC collected pre-restoration data in 2010. At this site we monitor for salinity and vegetation.

 

 


Sesuit Creek - Dennis

Sesuit Creek salt marsh is located in Dennis. This site was tidally restored (culvert enlarged) in the spring of 2008 bringing tidal inundation to 65 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers collected pre-restoration salinity data in 2007. Monitoring of pre- and post-restoration vegetation and fish was sub-contracted for research-level study during the years of 2007 and 2008. APCC and its team of volunteers conducted post-restoration salinity monitoring in 2008 and 2009. APCC also monitored for vegetation post-restoration in 2009, 2010 and will return to this site again in 2011 to monitor for both salinity and vegetation.

 


State Game Farm - Sandwich

State Game Farm is located in Sandwich. This site was tidally restored (culvert removed) in the spring of 2006 bringing tidal inundation to 9 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers collected
pre-restoration data from 2003 to 2005. Post-restoration monitoring was conducted in 2006 through 2009. APCC monitors for salinity, vegetation, birds and fish at this site.

 

 


Stony Brook - Brewster

Stony Brook salt marsh is located in Brewster. This site was tidally restored (culvert enlarged) in the fall of 2010 bringing tidal inundation to 20 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers collected pre-restoration salinity and plant data from 2006 to 2010. Fish monitoring was added in 2009 and conducted again in 2010. In 2011 APCC will conduct post-restoration monitoring for salinity, vegetation and fish. 

 

Sunken Meadow - Eastham
Sunken Meadow salt marsh is located in Eastham. This site was tidally restored (culvert removed) in the spring of 2011 bringing tidal inundation to 12 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers conducted pre-restoration monitoring at this site in 2010. We monitor for salinity and vegetation.


Wings Neck - Bourne

Wings Neck salt marsh is located in Bourne. This site was tidally restored in 2002 bringing tidal inundation to 12 acres of degraded marsh. APCC and its team of volunteers collected post-tidal restoration data from 2003 to 2007. We monitor for salinity, vegetation and birds at this site.