Racing the Tides to Save Local Salt Marsh

Woods Hole Group works to restore resiliency in diverse ecosystems across Cape Cod.

In Dennis, MA, workers and volunteers undertake the task of planting more than 90,000 plugs of smooth cordgrass, hoping to spark an essential salt marsh’s restoration.

What is a salt marsh?

Salt marshes are diverse coastal ecosystems that provide valuable habitat for native species across Massachusetts. These diverse wetlands filter storm water and act as a natural flood barrier for coastal communities.

Sesuit Creek Salt Marsh, located in the Town of Dennis, MA, is a marsh system divided by a road. The division left half of the marsh cut off from tidal flow for nearly half a century. Although tidal flow was restored nearly two decades ago, native vegetation has been slow to recover. Now, the community is in a race against time and tides as sea-level rise threatens the future of the wetland.

A disappearing ecological resource

As plants lose root density and peat thins, the salt marsh’s ability to absorb water diminishes. Then, when the area is hit with heavy rains and storm surges, the banks erode, crumbling over time, resulting in the end of a delicate, but necessary habitat.

Salt marshes, like the Sesuit Creek system, provide habitat for important wildlife like saltmarsh sparrows and river herring. Their thick peat stores carbon. They also act as natural flood barriers for homes and roadways, absorbing pollutants from stormwater runoff. However, despite the benefits these ecosystems provide, Massachusetts has seen a substantial decline in its salt marsh. In fact, over the last century and a half approximately 41% of marshes across the state have all but disappeared.

A collaborative kick-start to restoration

Woods Hole Group is proud to partner with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) to restore this unique site. Our goal is to help combat the impacts of sea level rise on the marsh. Building on 20 years of restoration in the Sesuit Creek system, the last year has seen major strides, including:

• Installation of over 90k native plug plantings over more than 2 acres of salt marsh
• Completion of design, permitting, and implementation of a restoration planting plan in under 1 year
• Revegetation of persistent bare areas, improving habitat value, sediment capture, hydrology, and resilience
• Establishment of a metric to prioritize bare areas to be planted

The project aims to jump start the restoration of vegetation, build elevation capital, and serve as a reference site to inform future projects. We at Woods Hole Group are thrilled to work alongside the APCC, Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, SumCo Eco-Contracting, the Dennis Conservation Land Trust, the Town of Dennis, MA, and AmeriCorps Cape Cod on this important project.

Restoring the landscape and ensuring a sustainable future for coastal communities, one grass plug at a time.