Salt Marsh Restoration

Salt Marsh Restoration:   Salt marsh restoration includes restoring natural flow (including tidal flushing) conditions and ecological functions that support nutrient recycling.  The Town of Wellfleet has identified numerous potential restoration projects that will restore lost large areas of salt marsh.  These include Herring River, Mayo Creek and others.  Most of these projects are intended to restore tidal flow into areas that have been historically blocked by water control structures such as dams, dikes, clapper valves, culverts, etc.  Salt marshes have been well documented to provide nitrogen attenuation processes.

The two habitat restoration projects that are underway in Wellfleet (Mayo Creek and Herring River) will likely result in significant water quality and habitat improvements.  However, these projects are very site-specific and the resulting nitrogen reductions are difficult to estimate.  We recommend that they are included in the overall strategy and that their corresponding nitrogen reduction credits be established through monitoring as part of the adaptive management program. 

 A possible inlet widening project at the inlet to Duck Creek could improve water quality conditions, although may result in elevated water levels at shoreline properties.  An estimated reduction of 1280 kg/year is estimated by the Cape Cod Commission’s MVP tool.  However, the actual increased flushing rates and corresponding reductions in nitrogen concentrations there are better estimated by a hydrologic model and can ultimately be proven out through a post-construction monitoring program.