All Things Environmental

The saltMarsh: Our precious resouce

One of LPIA’s organizational objectives has, and will continue to be, preservation of the marsh along the Kickemuit River. Marsh restoration provides an opportunity for learning and fosters environmental stewardship.

On Earth Day, 2023, volunteers first “attacked the wrack” (see large photo above) removing some 8-10 cubic yards of dead plant material that was smothering the beneficial grasses below. Instead of a thriving, biodiverse nursery for marine life, a thicket of invasive Phragmites (the common reed) does not provide sufficient cover, food or nesting habitat for birds native to marshes such as Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets.

Twenty years ago, LPIA received grant funds to rescue the marsh from Japanese Knotweed and Phragmites. Monitoring revealed that Phragmites was advancing 6’-10’ per year! In November of 2024, LPIA’s new Climate Action Team staged a second “Wrack Attack” to improve marsh health. Engineered solutions may be required in the future to wrestle back control of opportunistic, invasive plant species.

See the full article that appeared online in the Warren Times Gazette.

Volunteer, Jeff Burock, LPIA’s Climate Monitor, is using drone photography to track beach erosion and sea level rise. See the home page photo taken using this technology. Gallery coming soon.

MyCoast King Tide Wrap-up

Laurel Park is monitored from the end of Bay Road and Clarke to the end of Lincoln Avenue. Data illustrates incidences of shoreline inundation, infrastructure damage, and erosion from heavy rains and other significant weather events. This data is used by scientists at URI’s Coastal Resources Center, RI Sea Grant and Save The Bay, among others, to help communities and neighborhoods plan for coastal resiliency. Maintaining the ability of our saltmarsh to buffer against rising tides and storm surges is in all of our best interests.

To learn more about the King Tide phenomenon, and get dates for all king tides in 2025 (coming soon), visit RI King Tides Initiative. To see local monitoring reports, go to mycoast.org/ri, and "Search Reports".