Protecting a tidal marsh

[Mary Robertson]

I am working with the Durham, NH, Conservation Commission on a newsletter to the abutters of tidal marshes and would like a few "helpful hints" from experts in environmental protection. Please list any important points which you believe the individual land owner could do which would help preserve/ improve the health of tidal marshes. If you respond to this, I will assume that I have your permission to print your remark(s) along with your name and affiliation. I look forward to your
comments and I thank you in advance. Please submit to: Mary Robertson, Regional Planner, Strafford Regional Planning Commission. 259 County Farm Road, Dover, NH 03820 Phone: 603-742-2523; Fax: 603-743-3667; e-mail: Strafford@plan.mv.com

[Bill Meyer]

Hi Mary, I read your message and I can give you a few pointers in this area. The most important thing is to reduce the runoff of nutrients and toxics from adjacent land. Nutrients are perhaps the tidal marsh's worst enemy, and probably the more easily controllable from an abutters point of view. If you are unfamiliar with how nutrients effect aquatic systems let me explain briefly. Nutrients comprised mainly of nitrates and phosphates are a food for algae and aquatic plants. If a system recieves too much nutrient input the algae and aquatic plants will experience a population explosion creating a noxious environment for other organisms in the ecosystem. There is actually a lot more to it than that, but that is the short of it. Since, nitrates and phospates are the key ingredients in plant and grass fertilizers which most land abutters use on their lawns and plants you can see the potential for these nutrients to be carried into the marsh during storm events. There is an ongoing effort right now in the midwest to find ways to filter out nutrient runoffs so they do not reach aquatic systems. Some recent research by Dr. David Kovacic at the University of Illinois - Landscape Architecture Dept. has indicated that native plant buffers can filter out up to 95% of the nutrients contained in runoff from agricultural areas (which are realy loaded with nutrients) .I am not sure on how wide these buffers should be but I will look it up for you and let you know. As far as what to plant, I believe a assortment of native plant species common to tidal marsh borders would be sufficient. The one key thing noted in Kovacic's research was if there are any drain tiles in abutting land then the planting buffer hardly works. So all drain tiles or house gutters must that directly empty into the marsh must be removed first. The solution would be to route all drainage through the planting buffer. Well I hope that helps......Good Luck.

Bill Meyer
Assistant Supportive Scientist
Illinois State Water Survey
Office of River Water Quality.

[Dan Rothenberg]

his is late but here goes. Connecticut has very stringent TW protection law. As a result and due to restoration efforts, we actually experience a net gain of functioning TW's each year. The CT TW "guru" is Ron Rozsa, at the Department of Environmental Protection. His email address is maron@snet.net Our site also has info on tidal wetlands, from time to time - http://miracle.net/~yankee/yankee.htm

Regards, Dan Rothenberg
Yankee Planning Group, L.L.C.