Salt Marsh Restoration in New Hampshire

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its conservation partners are dedicated to helping the citizens of New Hampshire maintain and restore the health of salt marshes. 

In 1993 NRCS performed an inventory of restrictions to tidal flow along the New Hampshire coast identifying road culverts, bridges, and other structures that may be impeding tidal flow into salt marsh areas. The inventory included engineering surveys to assess proper tidal flow and preliminary cost estimates to correct deficiencies.  In 1994, the results of this study were published in the document entitled "Evaluation of Restorable Salt Marshes in New Hampshire" (this document is available for download on our Ecosystem Restoration web site).  This report identified 700 acres of salt marsh that were practical to restore.  As of March 2003, approximately 600 acres have been restored.

To date, our primary emphasis has been on restoring tidal flow, the twice daily flooding of tides, by replacing inadequate road culverts, restoring tidal creeks through selective ditching, and open marsh water management.

Our emphasis has been on restoring tidal flow, because it is the life blood of salt marshes. Without tidal flow salt marshes die a slow death. See our web page on salt marsh health for more information on the problems associated with restrictions to tidal flow.

NRCS has participated by providing technical assistance and/or funding for salt marsh restoration projects.  For example, NRCS has provided engineering designs and ecological evaluations, and funding using the NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program.  

Check out examples of New Hampshire's cooperative salt marsh restoration projects, including Rye Harbor, Awcomin, Beard's creek, the Little River salt marsh, and many other areas along New Hampshire's Seacoast.

Participating Agencies and Organizations

The kind of success with the restoration of so many acres of salt marshes along New Hampshire's 18 miles of coast would not have been possible without the work of many partners.  The following is a list of organizations that have helped NRCS accomplish this effort.  

• Rockingham County Conservation District
• Strafford County Conservation District
• The towns of Rye, Hampton and North Hampton
• The New Hampshire Coastal Program (OSP)
• The New Hampshire Wetlands Bureau
• New Hampshire Audubon Society
• The University of New Hampshire Jackson Estuarine Laboratory
• The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
• Great Bay Estuarine Research Reserve
• Wells (Maine) Estuarine Research Reserve
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Local residents and volunteers

Future Plans

We will continue to work with our partners to protect and restore salt marshes in New Hampshire. Future projects include enlarging a culvert through an abandoned railroad grade in Seabrook, creating a hiking/bike path along this same railroad grade in Seabrook and Hampton, and increasing tidal flow to a 6 acre marsh in Rye. Completion of these projects is contingent on completing appropriate planning and design studies as well as obtaining funding through grants and other sources.

Contact

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Federal Building, 2 Madbury Road
Durham, NH 03823
USA
(603) 868-7581