Habitat Restoration & Protection Database

The marsh in question is a small remnant of marsh that was not filled for railroad operations. Mosquito ditches constructed in the early 1900s drain this marsh and cause loss of several critical wetland functions. Ditching drains surface water from the marsh thus eliminating surface pools and ponds that are vital to wildlife such as waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. It also eliminates the pannes of stunted saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) that are critical habitat for the Seaside Sparrow. While maintenance of mosquito ditches was discontinued in 1984 in Connecticut and ditches are gradually reverting to marsh habitat, these ditches still continue to drain the marsh. The non-native haplotype of common reed (Phragmites australis) has invaded this marsh but is largely restricted to the upper border where the soil salinities tend to be less than 18ppt.