2,400 Hectares of Salt Marsh Wetland Restoration

As part of the Estuary Enhancement Program (EEP) being undertaken by Public Service Gas & Electric (PSE&G), Woodward-Clyde International-Americas (Woodward-Clyde) was responsible for conducting the baseline studies and developing the restoration design for the degraded tidal salt marsh at both the Dennis Township Salt Hay Farm and the Maurice River Township Salt Hay Farm. Both engineering and ecological factors were considered in developing designs that focused on a natural restoration, minimizing the level of engineering and subsequent disturbance, while maximizing the potential for a successful, self-sustaining restoration. The key components of the design include the breaching of existing perimeter dikes and the excavation of new channels to allow the restoration of daily tidal flows; and the construction of upland diking to protect adjacent properties from flooding associated with normal tide conditions. The work included the use of two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling to predict wetting and drying of the sites for various design alternatives. The model was also used to refine the channel configurations and evaluate the erosion and scouring potential in the channels and across the sites. Inherent in the final design are many ecological and physical criteria that may impact the success of the restorations. This work was conducted on a very fast track during 1994 and 1995.