Restoration of Salt Marsh Habitat Using Engineered Barrier Islands

Many estuaries and intertidal areas on the west coast of North America have documented significant loss of salt marsh habitat over the past 100 years. British Columbia has 442 major estuaries and many more minor estuaries that have been impacted by agricultural activities, shoreline located industry and waterfront land development. The Comox Valley Project Watershed Society (CVPW) has formed a team of professional and volunteer members from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia to address this serious impact. CVPW has bio-engineered a salt marsh island prototype that creates more edge habitat and intertidal channels than standard salt marsh bench restoration techniques. CVPW, in partnership with the local community, planted the newly created salt marsh habitat with indigenous salt marsh plants focusing on those that create dense cover and have stabilizing root systems. The islands were built at a specific elevation to support the plants and armoured to protect from wave action and storm surges. Community involvement in the project has brought new awareness to the ecological importance of salt marsh habitat