By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff
EDITOR'S NOTE: Charlestown has a vocal NIMBY opposition, mostly aligned with the CCA Party, attempting to halt or reverse aquaculture in Charlestown waters. Their opposition seems largely based on not liking to watch oyster-farming while they're sipping martinis on their waterfront verandas.
NARRAGANSETT — Oysters and burritos seldom go together as a meal, but they are an excellent combination for helping the environment.
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| Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse helped build the living shoreline marsh barrier along the Narrow River in Narragansett. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News) |
Burritos, in this case, aren’t the kind you eat. Instead, they
are large coconut-fiber logs filled with 10 pounds of oyster shells collected
from local restaurants. Together, they are the building blocks for low-priced,
low-impact barriers that protect eroding marshes.
Rhode Island has plenty of deteriorating marshes, and these
organic buffers might just help reverse the damage. The Ocean State has lost
some 53 percent of its marshes in the past 200 years, and sea-level rise is
accelerating that decay. Yet, there are few options for slowing an eroding
marsh. Without room to migrate inland or upward, they simply dwindle over time.
To slow this trend, conservationists are testing this
“living-shoreline” barrier to help restore vital wetlands. The project, run by
The Nature Conservancy and the University of Rhode Island, builds and manages
these natural barriers along the edge of the marsh. The low wall impedes waves
and encourages sediment buildup, while the oyster shells and biodegradable
burritos attract sea life such as shrimp and fish.
The first row of the experimental barrier was installed in April
in three 100-foot sections below the Middlebridge area of the river. A second
round was added Aug. 21. It’s too soon to tell if the living shoreline is
helping the marsh, but the approach has helped eroding tidal regions in
Delaware, New Jersey and the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
These burrito barriers aren’t new. They are a state-approved
alternative to seawalls made of stone, wood and/or steel for controlling
erosion. They are a preferred line of defense to hardened structures such as
bulkheads and stone riprap, which typically exacerbate erosion in adjoining
areas. Currently, 30 percent of Rhode Island’s shoreline is armored with such
artificial barriers.
Oyster bags are also more common in restoration efforts. Some
150 tons of the recycled shells are now submerged in coastal waters through a
shell collection and marine restoration program run by The Nature Conservancy. Oysters Gone Wild works
with local seafood restaurants, such as the Matunuck Oyster Bar and the Newport
Restaurant Group, to keep the shells out of the Central Landfill. Most of these
collected shells are now providing a foundation, or reef, for new oyster beds
at Ninigret and Quonochontaug saltwater ponds in Charlestown and Westerly.
If the project succeeds at the Narrow River site, oysters and
other shellfish may rebound and additional barriers will be built along the
6.3-mile wetland.
“The hope is marsh grows out of it,” said John
Torgan, director of ocean and coastal conservation for The Nature
Conservancy. “We do this to learn and get better at it.”
Funds for the project are channeled through the state Coastal
Resources Management Council (CRMC) as part of federal Sandy relief aid.
Considering the modest investment — $37,000 from federal aid and $19,000 from
The Nature Conservancy — the project is seen as a low-risk investment.
In an area popular with nature lovers and boaters, the projects
also is an important part of the town’s vibrant tourism industry. “We are
working to sustain nature and nature sustains us,” Torgan said.