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Walker Farm Marsh, RI - Save the Bay
Walker Farm Marsh Restoration - Save The Bay, Narragansett Bay
Walker Farm Marsh, in the Town of Barrington, Rhode Island, is a 16-acre salt marsh that has been altered by a number of roads and dam structures that restrict the amount of salt water entering the marsh. Restricted tidal flow, decreased salinity in the marsh, and impoundment of open water have resulted in the invasion of Common Reed, Phragmites australis, throughout the wetland, and the flooding of the historic marsh. The spread of Phragmites in Walker Farm marsh was first identified in 1980 when the Osamequin Nature Sanctuary Management Plan suggested controlling its growth. Plans to restore Walker Farm marsh were developed by Save The Bay in partnership with local, state, and federal government agencies. The goal of this restoration project is to increase the aerial of salt marsh to approximately 24 acres. Project partners include the Town of Barrington, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Community based restoration program, Restore America's Estuaries, Ducks Unlimited, and Environmental Science Services, Inc.
Historically, Walker Farm was used for grazing livestock. Dams were built in the early 1900s to block tidal flows and to facilitate the use of pastures. Dirt roads were built across the marsh to allow access to the farm. Mosquito ditches were dug throughout the northern portion of the marsh sometime in the mid 1900s. Salt water flow into the marsh is inhibited by five tidal restrictions. The southern inlet restriction is a permanent culverted dam structure that restricts tidal flow. This culvert allows tidal flow into a small portion of the marsh between the dam and the Walker Farm entrance road off Route 114. Saltwater cord grass, Spartina alterniflora, is the dominant plant in this section of the marsh. The next tidal restriction to the north is the entrance road off of Route 114 to the community gardens, boat ramp, and composting facility. The small culvert under the road allows minimum tidal flow into the interior marsh. Two overgrown farm roads, located north of the Walker Farm access road, cut across the marsh and prevent further tidal inundation into the interior marsh.
At the northern end of the marsh, a flap-gated historic earthen dam was built approximately 60 years ago to allow agricultural use of the marsh. Sometime between 1965 and 1970, the Town of Barrington, made this original dam permanent to establish waterfowl habitat. This dam flooded the salt marsh and created a brackish pond that only receives tidal flow during extreme high tides and storms. The dam also impounds freshwater from a tributary that discharges into the northeast corner of the pond, running under Route 114.
The restoration project includes modification of the three existing structures. The southern structure will include water control structures to increase tidal flow. The structure under the access road will be increased in size to allow for more tidal flow into the marsh interior. The former farm roads will be removed from the marsh surface to improve tidal circulation within the salt marsh. The northern restriction will also include a water control structure. Analysis of the marsh sediment determined that a large amount of sediment would be lost from the marsh if the tidal restriction was removed completely. To address the potential loss of marsh substrate, the northern structure has been designed with a water control structure to limit the initial tidal flow into the marsh. As the marsh revegetates, the water control structure can be modified to allow for greater tidal flow. The marsh spoils will be placed in the upland adjacent to the marsh and planted with a conservation mix.
For more information on this project, please contact Save The Bay, Narragansett Bay at (401) 272-3540, www.savebay.org.