Herring River Restoration Project Return of the Tide Friends of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Herring River Restoration Project Return of the Tide Friends of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Herring River Restoration Project Return of the Tide Friends of Herring River Annual Meeting August 16, 2016 www.friendsofherringriver.org Agenda Welcome Project Status Today This Years Annual Meeting Designs

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Herring River Restoration Project

“Return of the Tide” Friends of Herring River Annual Meeting August 16, 2016

www.friendsofherringriver.org

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Agenda

  • Welcome
  • This Year’s Annual Meeting
  • Celebrate NPS Anniversary
  • A bit of history
  • Key events over 100 years
  • A trip over the Herring River
  • Project Status Today
  • Designs prepared
  • Final EIS/EIR published
  • What’s next?
  • Project permits
  • Fundraising
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Friends of Herring River Mission

  • Conduct public

education, awareness and outreach activities

  • Administer grants and

contracts

  • Raise funds

Promote the restoration and environmental vitality of the Herring River Estuary

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The Restoration Project

Objective:

  • Restore the 1000 acre Herring River Estuary

How:

  • Remove existing restrictions in the river
  • Return natural tidal flow

Why?

  • Prevent ongoing degradation of the estuary
  • Achieve ecological and social benefits
  • Current dike is leaking
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SLIDE 5

Early Significant Milestones

1909 – Construction of the Chequessett Neck Road Dike 1970’s – Dike Reconstruction

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Original vs. current opening

Cape Cod National Seashore Towns of Wellfleet and Truro

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Chequessett Neck Road Dike, Constructed in 1909, 1973 Cape Cod National Seashore Towns of Wellfleet and Truro

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Recent Milestones

2005 – Memorandum of Understanding I

  • Established stakeholder and technical committees
  • The Towns and CCNS agreed to examine the feasibility
  • f restoration

2007 – Memorandum of Understanding II

  • Decision to develop jointly a detailed restoration plan
  • Established the Herring River Restoration Committee

2016 – Publication of the Final EIS/EIR 2016 – Draft Memorandum of Agreement III

  • Defines roles and responsibilities to implement the

approved plan

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The Herring River Estuary

Acreage

Originally – 1100 acres Today – 7+/- acres of tidal marsh remain

View from above

By Roland Duhaine Mark Adams

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  • 1.5
  • 1
  • 0.5

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Tide height m-NGVD

  • 1.5
  • 1
  • 0.5

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Tidal Range ~ 2.5 meters Tidal Range ~ 0.5 meters

Harbor Diked River

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Natural marsh below the Dike “Marsh” above the Dike

Elevation (meters NGVD)

2.0 1.0 0.0

  • 1.0

DIKE High tide High tide Low tide Low tide

Herring River Dike Effects on Tidal Range, Sediment and Vegetation

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Current Conditions of Herring River

Degraded Habitat for River Herring Poor Water Quality = Fish Kills Ponded Freshwater = Methane Emissions Fecal Coliform Bacteria Pollution = Closed Shellfish Areas

National Park Service Cape Cod National Seashore

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National Park Service Cape Cod National Seashore

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Rebuild Chequessett Neck Road Dike and Tidal Control Structure

Cape Cod National Seashore Towns of Wellfleet and Truro

18 ft wide culverts 165 ft wide bridge span

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National Park Service Cape Cod National Seashore Cape Cod National Seashore Towns of Wellfleet and Truro

Herring River Restoration: Benefits & Significance of the Project

RESTORED COASTAL HABITAT Restored Water Quality Naturally Sustainable Salt Marsh Habitat Habitat for Marine Species; Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Diamond-back Terrapin 11+ River Miles and access to 160 pond acres for River Herring 200+ Acres Clam and Oyster Habitat Engine of Productivity for Near- and Off-Shore Marine Habitats

1100 Acres: Largest Coastal Wetland Project in the Northeast

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National Park Service Cape Cod National Seashore Cape Cod National Seashore Towns of Wellfleet and Truro

Herring River Restoration: Benefits of the Project

RESTORED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Reduce Methane Emissions: Equal to Taking 635 Cars off the Road Each Year Natural Mosquito Control: Tidal Flush of Breeding Areas, Larvae-eating Fish Recreation: Boating, Hiking, Fishing Managing Sea Level Rise: Habitats Resilient to Coastal Flooding Local Economy: $1 Spent on Coastal Restoration = $13 to Local Businesses

(Center for Amer. Progress/OXFAM 2014)

1100 Acres: Largest Coastal Wetland Project in the Northeast

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Project Status Today

What has been accomplished?

  • Technical studies and modeling of effects of restoration
  • Special studies: cultural resources and rare species
  • Preliminary design of key infrastructure features
  • Contact with owners of low-lying property
  • Publication of the Final EIS/EIR

Major current activities

  • Preparation for permitting activities
  • Public outreach & discussions with property owners
  • Seeking continued funding support
  • Development of the Adaptive Management Plan
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Adaptive Management

Observe Analyze Predict Implement

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Major Projects

  • Chequessett Neck Road

Dike & Tide Control Gates

  • Mill Creek & Pole Dike

Creek Dikes and Tide Control Gates

  • Low-Lying Roads
  • Mitigation to Protect

Private Property Structures

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SLIDE 19

CNR Bridge

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SLIDE 20

Low Roadways

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Project Permits

  • Town of Wellfleet – Order of Conditions

(under local bylaw and MA Wetlands Protection Act)

  • Town of Truro - Order of Conditions (under

local bylaw and MA Wetlands Protection Act)

  • MA Department of Environmental Protection
  • 401 Water Quality Certification
  • MA Department of Environmental Protection
  • Chapter 91 Waterways License
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Project Permits

  • US Army Corps of Engineers – Section 10

Permit / Section 404 Individual Permit

  • MA Office of Coastal Zone Management –

Federal Consistency Review

  • US EPA / MA Department of Environmental

Protection – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES)

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Project Timeline

  • Fall 2016

Final EIS & Record of Decision

  • 2016-2017

Continue on-going work with

  • wners of low-lying properties
  • 2016-2017

Prepare permit applications

  • 2017-2018

Obtain local, state & federal permits

  • 2016-2018

Secure project funding

  • 2017-2018

Final design & construction bids

  • 2018-2019

Begin construction

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Supporting Organizations

  • Association to Preserve Cape Cod
  • Cape Cod Conservation District
  • Cape Cod National Seashore *
  • Coastal America Foundation
  • Conservation Law Foundation
  • Ducks Unlimited
  • Friends of Cape Cod National

Seashore

  • Friends of Herring River
  • Herring River Technical &

Stakeholder Committees

  • MA Audubon
  • MA Bays Program

* Herring River Restoration Committee

  • MA Division of Ecological

Restoration *

  • MA Environmental Trust
  • National Park Service
  • Natural Resource

Conservation Service *

  • The Nature Conservancy
  • National Oceanic &

Atmospheric Administration *

  • Town of Truro *
  • Trout Unlimited
  • US Geological Survey
  • US Fish & Wildlife Service *
  • Town of Wellfleet *
  • Wellfleet Conservation Trust
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What You Can Do

Be Informed – Participate in public meetings Express your support and concerns Call on Friends of Herring River for general information or to address specific questions Volunteer – Herring count, work projects, etc. Become a contributor – time, talent, funding

  • r advice – your thoughts always welcome
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Tidal Water

A History of Wellfleet’s Herring River

John W. Portnoy, Alice M. Iacuessa, Barbara A. Brennessel and special thanks to:

  • Wellfleet Cultural Council
  • Wellfleet Historical Society and

Museum

  • Cape Cod National Seashore
  • Park Historian Bill Burke
  • John T. Cumbler
  • Lisbeth Chapman
  • Bill Iacuessa
  • Marisa Picariello
  • Susan Dunn
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