Awcomin Salt Marsh, Rye, NH
In the 1940's and 60's Rye Harbor, Rye, NH was dredged during harbor maintenance operations. The created dredge spoil was dumped onto 25 acres of the adjacent Awcomin salt marsh. The added spoil (up to ten feet thick in some areas) smothered native saltmarsh vegetation, destroyed wildlife habitat and created new marsh elevations that allowed invasive aggressive plants such as Phragmites to dominate.
Over 9,000 dump truck loads (100,000 cubic yards) of spoil have been excavated to restore the necessary elevations needed to promote native revegetation.Excavation occurred just below the typical high marsh elevations to allow for re-establishment of native saltmarsh vegetation and wildlife habitat.
In July and August of 2002, DU volunteers spent 43 hours planting salt marsh vegetation at this site. This project helped the University of New Hampshire, NH Coastal Program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Restoration Center staff plant over an acre of Spartina alterniflora , an important native plant found in the lower areas of a saltmarsh. In most salt marsh restorations, these plantings are not necessary, but in some cases it gives the marsh an extra boost to fight the invasion of aggressive non-native plants.
Different techniques were used and will be evaluated to determine the success of each type of planting regime.
In conjunction with this restoration, DU also contributed $14,000 to NH Fish and Game for the purchase and protection of 35 acres of saltmarsh adjacent to the Awcomin salt marsh restoration.