Challenges and Successes of Tidal Wetlands Restoration in Jamaica Bay, New York

Jamaica Bay, located within the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, covers 67.3 square kilometers and opens into the Atlantic Ocean via Rockaway Inlet. In the early 1900's, Jamaica Bay was an extensive estuarine ecosystem that sustained large expanses of salt marsh. Over the last century, urban and industrial development has modified the natural environment surrounding the marsh islands through activities such as dredging and filling, construction, pollution, and over-harvesting or eradication of native plant and animal species. Based on aerial photography interpretation of Jamaica Bay, the New York State Department of Conservation (NYSDEC), estimated that approximately 567 hectares of tidal salt marsh have been lost since 1924, with the rate of loss rapidly increasing in recent years. At Elders Point between 1994 and 1999 an estimated 89 hectares of salt marsh were lost at a rate of 17.8 hectares per year. It is estimated that if this trend continues, all remaining salt marsh within Jamaica Bay may be lost over the next three decades. Our work involves a multi-agency group led by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to restore the tidal wetlands of Elders Point East and consists of the placement of fill, regrading the site to appropriate elevations for the target community, and planting with native coastal plant species. This design was based on the approximate extent of the 1974 marsh coverage as reported by NYSDEC. Restoration efforts have included extensive monitoring to ensure worthwhile ecological goals have been provided and are a long term sustainable benefit to Jamaica Bay. Challenges that need to be overcome include compaction, subsidence, and erosion of placed material. Additionally, accretion of material and plant survival will require monitoring. The sustainability and plant survival will be an ongoing challenge with physical, chemical, and biological stresses present in the bay. Monitoring data to date have indicated that the project has provided much of the anticipated benefits with minimal erosion or deposition of sediment and Spartina alterniflora has exhibited a growth rate consistent with the control marsh at JoCo. The sustainability of Elders Point East will have important implications regarding future salt marsh restoration efforts (e.g., Elders Point West) and likely serve as a benchmark for similar projects.