Fireplace Neck Tidal Wetland Area is a 108-acre salt marsh located on Long Island‘s south shore, adjacent to Bellport Bay. Historical marsh development and vegetation degradation in the early 20th Century altered the natural flow of water and sediments in the wetland.
Habitat loss and the conversion of dry high-marsh habitat into low-marsh mudflats contributed to a less resilient coastline that faces growing threats from extreme weather events and sea level rise.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will host webinar on June 12, from noon until 12:30 pm with Division of Marine Resource Biologist Alexa Fournier who will discuss the Fireplace Neck Tidal Wetland Restoration project in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County.
The restoration project helped stabilize the marsh system, improved ecological functions, and created a more resilient marsh. Tidal wetlands play a critical role in supporting diverse marine life, fish, and wildlife, while providing a first line of defense against extreme flooding and sea level rise in coastal communities.
DEC and OGS worked with the design firm Henningson, Durham, and Richardson Architecture and Engineering, P.C., to improve the hydrology of the marsh and help stabilize the system, as well as maintain and improve existing ecological functions, bolster the marsh’s resiliency to large storm events, and support its ability to adapt to sea level rise.
In addition to marsh improvements, improved road access, parking, and facility improvements will provide further benefits to recreational users. Restoration was funded through the Ocean and Great Lakes Fund and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants program.
Illustration: Bellport Bay and Fireplace Neck salt marsh in 2023 before restoration (photo courtesy Stephen Borghardt Photography).
Source link
