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Partnering to Restore a Coastal Pond, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program

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Partnering to Restore a Coastal Pond, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program PARTNERING TO RESTORE A COASTAL POND On September 21, 2007, salt water from Mount Hope Bay flowed into Town Pond, a historic coastal pond on Narragansett Bay, for the first time in 53 years. The area had been filled as a disposal site for dredged material around 1950, completely destroying its value as a marine and estuarine habitat. The res- toration will provide habitat for a rich variety of fish and wildlife, from oysters and blue crabs to flounder and great blue herons. THE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM IN ACTION Narragansett Bay Estuary Program The 2007 restoration marked the ever undertaken on Narragan- dredging operations for the Fall next several decades, the former Federal government provides culmination of more than seven sett Bay. River, Mass., shipping channel, pond evolved from a mudflat to 75 percent of the cost of these years of planning, engineer- the pond was filled with mud a 40-acre monoculture of the in- projects; local partners must pay ing, and construction, achieved Until 1950, Town Pond was a 40- dredged from the bottom of the vasive reed Phragmites. the remainder. The Narragansett through a partnership of Federal, acre tidal pond with salt marshes Bay. The fill operation prevented Bay Estuary Program, R.I. De- state, local, and non-govern- along its edges, connected to the tidal exchange to the interior of In the late 1990’s, the late Sen. partment of Environmental Man- mental organizations. salt waters of Mount Hope Bay the marsh by raising the area John Chafee authorized the R.I. agement (RIDEM) and the Corps by a large tidal channel. During above high tide, and over the Ecosystem Restoration Study at worked with Federal, state and The Narragansett Bay Estuary the request of NBEP. The effort local partners through the R.I. Program (NBEP) played an ac- was undertaken by the Corps, Habitat Restoration Team to de- tive role throughout the resto- NBEP and other partners to velop a restoration plan for Town ration process: working with identify coastal restoration op- Pond. the community to build support, portunities throughout Rhode convening technical experts Island’s coastal areas. One such The project restores more than to design the restoration, and opportunity identified was Town 20 acres of historic salt pond working with governmental and Pond. Under Section 1135 of the habitat as well as fringing wet- non-governmental organizations Federal Water Resources Devel- lands, coastal grassland habitat, to secure nearly six million dol- opment Act, the Corps is funded and public access to the shore- lars for construction of the larg- to restore coastal sites damaged line. In so doing, it is intended est wetland restoration project by past navigational projects. The to restore spawning habitat Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers EFFECTIVE • EFFICIENT • ADAPTIVE • COLLABORATIVE for winter flounder and critical University provided significant habitat for a variety of valuable in-kind contribution through real estuarine plants and animals, estate easements, and is now including oysters, blue crabs, leading a project to restore oys- menhaden, and waterfowl such ters in the pond. as brant. The project will also protect nearby freshwater re- Visit www.nbep.org to learn sources, allow continued mainte- more about this and other NBEP nance access to existing electric efforts. transmission lines, and provide for public access and viewing of EPA’s National Estuary Program the restored habitat. The Town of (NEP) is a unique and successful Portsmouth is strongly support- coastal watershed-based program ive of the project and has been a established in 1987 under the consistent partner. Much of the Clean Water Act Amendments. non-Federal funding for the proj- The NEP involves the public and ect was provided through state collaborates with partners to pro- sources such as RIDEM and tect, restore, and maintain the wa- the R.I. Coastal and Estuarine ter quality and ecological integrity Habitat Restoration Trust Fund, of 28 estuaries of national signifi- which is administered by the R.I. cance located in 18 coastal states Coastal Resources Management and Puerto Rico. Council. Additional funding was provided by the R.I. Corporate For more information about the Wetlands Partnership, Ducks NEP go to www.epa.gov/owow/ Unlimited, and Aquidneck Is- estuaries. land Land Trust. Roger Williams The NEP: Implementing the Clean Water Act in ways that are Effective, Efficient, Adaptive, and Collaborative. EPA-842F09001.
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