EFFECTIVENESS OF NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION RESTORATION PLANTING REQUIREMENTS

Tidal wetlands are areas of land that are periodically flooded by seawater. Wetlands protect the land from flooding, control erosion, absorb pollutants, improve water quality, and provide a habitat for plants, insects, birds, fishes and animals. Anthropogenic activities and climate change can have adverse impacts on the wetland environment leading to degradation of the wetland, which can result in the wetland requiring restoration. In order to restore the wetland effectively, it is important to determine the quality of water and soil which may have an impact on plants growth. During this study several wetland areas with past restoration projects located on Long Island, NY were inspected using a visual identification method to identify the vegetation in the wetland, and adjacent area of the wetland. Google Earth imagery was used to conduct aerial inspections of the sites on a year to year basis. Physical water parameters such as pH, temperature, and conductivity were measured using the Hanna edge Tablet pH meter, while salinity levels were measured using the TDS digital salinity meter. Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) was measured using the IDEXX method. Preliminary results have shown that most of the required restoration plantings were complete and were partially effective in restoring the wetland environment after 5 years. However, invasive species were present at many of the sites. If not controlled, the invasive species may out-compete with the native species and ultimately threaten the health of the wetland. Physical water parameters were found to be at optimum levels, while elevated levels of FIB were found across all the sites. The preliminary data gathered from this study has not provided enough information to determine if the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 5 year restoration guideline provides the time needed for full restoration of a previously degraded wetland. This is a continuing study and additional inspections shall be conducted at locations across Long Island.