Chesapeake Bay adaptation –

Designing marshes for 2100

David Curson, National Audubon Society Erik Meyers, The Conservation Fund

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

“Maryland’s Everglades”

Biological Resources: •Most extensive contiguous tidal marsh in NE U.S.

• Diversity of wetland and forest habitats.

• 27,000 acres, in a 200,000 acre natural landscape.

• Conservation priorities:

• Wintering waterfowl

• Bald Eagle

• Tidal marsh birds

• Delmarva Fox Squirrel

Important Bird Area of global significance

- tidal marsh birds

Saltmarsh Sparrow

WatchList: Red category

Black Rail:

WatchList Red category

Seaside Sparrow

WatchList:Red category

Importance to regional economy

Ecosystem services:

• Tourism and recreation - $27 million annually

• Commercial fisheries – vital nursery grounds in tidal

creeks.

• Buffer against storm surges – protecting properties.

• Filter sediments and nutrient pollution – improving

Chesapeake Bay water quality.

TCF Acquisitions

Refuge Land

MD DNR Land

The Conservation Fund Work at

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Disappearing marshland….

1938 1957 1989

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Hurricane Isabel Flooding Risk

Sea Level Rise Height Increases +

Hurricane Isabel Flooding Risk

0.5 meters 1.5 meters

1.0 meters 2.0 meters

Hurricane Isabel Flooding Risk

Sea Level Rise Height Increases +

Hurricane Isabel Flooding Risk

0.5 meters 1.5 meters

1.0 meters 2.0 meters

Blackwater National Wildlife

Refuge

Data from VIMS, Noblis, Inc. & CBOS

Sea level rise and storms – an

increasing threat to Blackwater

Marsh migration creates new salt marsh

Tidal marshes for the future?

Conservation needs

1. Facilitate tidal marsh migration:

• Protect migration corridors from

development, shoreline hardening.

• Assist marsh migration via habitat

management.

2. Enhance ecological integrity of tidal marshes to

increase resilience to sea level rise.

SLR adaptation plan for

Dorchester County, Md

Project components -

1. Strategic assessment of current conditions

and predicted impacts

2. Comprehensive strategy for SLR

adaptation

3. Communications strategy to build

support.

2-year project; May 2011 – May 2013

Strategic Assessment: 1. Map and prioritize potential

marsh migration corridors.

• Build upon mapping done by Maryland DNR

using SLAMM 6.01.

• Incorporate additional factors to derive marsh

suitability surface map:

• Current land cover.

• Roads (and other barriers to marsh migration)

• Ditches (conduits of tidal influence)

• RTE species (Delmarva Fox Squirrel)

• Soil type.

• Salt marsh bird habitat-landscape

requirements.

Strategic Assessment: 2. Map areas of high marsh habitat of

highest priority for salt marsh birds

• Unique salt marsh bird assemblage needs

Spartina meadows in high marsh for nesting.

• Habitat-landscape models will be developed to

characterize highest priority marshes.

• Bird and habitat data collected in 2011

marshbird survey.

• Models will also inform prioritization of new

future marshes.

Strategic Assessment: 3. Map areas most suitable for

marsh restoration activities.

• Sediment spraying to raise marsh elevation

• Invasive species control (Phragmites).

• Ditch modifications (plugging / unplugging)

• Pine removal to accelerate marsh establishment?

Comprehensive strategy

1. Land protection and

marsh migration

Designate corridors to

future “home”.

Strategic site selection.

Innovative funding

Eliminate barriers

2. Marsh restoration

and management for

bird habitat

Prioritize locations,

BMPs.

BMPs for newly tidal

land.

Communication strategy: Build

support for implementation

•Increase awareness of impacts of SLR, and

what is at stake in future.

•Build appreciation that SLR must be addressed

now.

•Give local residents and managers opportunity

to tell their stories about changes.

•Refine messages for diverse audiences

Many partners and advisors…

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

US Army Corps of Engineers

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

Chesapeake Conservancy

National Wildlife Refuge Association

Moving toward 2100….