Salt Marsh Habitat Restoration on Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

From the 1600s to the 1900s, high density drainage networks and berms were constructed to increase crop production and reduce mosquito populations. Lack of maintenance caused these drainage ditches to clog up over time, increasing water retention in the marsh. Ultimately, this infrastructure and increased flooding due to storm surge have led to marsh subsidence, vegetation shifts, and shifts in wildlife use at Parker River NWR. In 2021, refuge staff combined the most effective strategies to restore 100 acres of salt marsh on the refuge. These strategies included digging runnels to drain standing water and restore flow paths, adding hay to ditches to rebuild peat and reduce ditch density, and using dredged material to create nesting habitat for the saltmarsh sparrow.