North Shore Preserve Wetland Restoration

Why:  Wetlands take many forms – bogs, wet prairies, forested wetlands – and many wetland areas combine these various types. Wetlands provide natural water quality improvement, flood protection, groundwater recharge, shoreline erosion control, wildlife habitat, and other ecological benefits. Despite regulatory protections, wetlands continue to be lost to agriculture and development.

Where:  This Preserve features a mosaic of wetlands that extend from the forest to the shoreline. Previous owners modified these wetlands through excavation, fill and species introductions. They also installed subsurface drainage across the northern portion of the Preserve to divert water away from buildings and/or to improve field conditions. Remnant wetland indicators provide evidence that that the Glenwood Inn house (built in the 1890’s) and the former pond (excavated in the  1970’s) replaced portions of these wetlands.

When:  In 2023, Conservation Land Bank (Land Bank) staff began implementing a slope stabilization and wetland rehabilitation project. The first phase of work was focused on building removal and slope instability. The second phase, in mid-2024, aimed to reestablish previously excavated and filled wetlands.

What:  Following an extensive design and permitting process, the Land Bank worked with contractors to remove seven cabins, the main house and several other structures. As part of this effort, we converted the beach access road into a pedestrian trail, and disrupted field drains to reduce the concentration of runoff near the steep slopes and restore wetland hydrology.  Following another round of permitting, a contractor  re-graded the extensive earthen berm along the northern edge of the pond and the former footprint of the main house to form shallow wetland depressions. These areas are being replanted with native wetland species including, seed, 10,000 herbaceous plants, and several thousand trees and shrubs. Once established, this vegetation will provide habitat, slow runoff and increase slope stability.

Planting List:

Eleocharis palustris – Common spikerush Oenanthe sarmentosa – Water parsley Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani – Softstem bulrush Scirpus microcarpus – Small fruited bulrush Carex kelloggii – Kellogg’s sedge Carex stipata – Sawbeak sedge Carex utriculata – Beaked sedge Juncus acuminatus – Tapertip rush Juncus articulatus – Jointleaf rush Lysichiton americanus – Skunk cabbage Potentilla anserina – Pacific silverweed Juncus tenuis – Slender rush Camassia quamash ssp. – Common camas Carex unilateralis  – Lateral sedge Juncus ensifolius – Daggerleaf rush Juncus oxymeris – Pointed rush Juncus articulatus – Jointleaf rush Prunella vulgaris v. lanceolata – Self heal Symphyotrichum subspicatum – Douglas aster Sambucus racemosa – Red elderberry Spiraea douglasii – Douglas spiraea Symphoricarpos albus – Common snowberry