Terraces Provide a Habitat for a Variety of Species

• Along terrace edges, fish and crustaceans find food and nursery habitat and attract the larger fish that feed on them.
• Marsh grasses on terrace slopes provide nesting cover for waterfowl, while woody vegetation atop terraces offers resting perches for migratory birds.
• Ducks feed on the submerged aquatic vegetation that often grows along terrace edges.

What is the future of the staging area?

The City will use the staging area solely for monitoring and maintenance of the project after construction is complete. All construction equipment will be removed, and the yard and bridge will remain in place for monitoring and maintenance access. No other public uses of the site are planned.

Why is it Needed?

Periods of sustained southerly winds push water from Currituck Sound into Back Bay, increasing water levels by several feet and flooding low-lying lands, homes, and critical roadways. Although such events used to be rare, more than five have been experienced in the last four years. 

Analysis has indicated that increased sea levels and marsh loss are significant contributing factors. The project site was strategically selected as it offers an opportunity to restore approximately 260 acres of marsh island habitat that has resulted in the opening of a secondary channel that allows increased flow of water to areas with high community exposure. 

Unmitigated, the continued degradation and loss of these marsh island systems will further increase the propagation of floodwaters through this critical pathway and also continue to increase fetch and wave heights into the north end of the bay.

This project is the first step in a more comprehensive vision of restoration in Back Bay, and the larger Albemarle-Pamlico estuary, to strategically close hydraulic pathways and advance restoration objectives. 

Through the export of proven expertise from successful marsh terracing projects, this project lays the foundation for future projects through the development of detailed cost estimates, identification of best sources for local/regional materials, and establishment of partnerships with permitting officials at various levels of government.

How Will it Work?

• The primary goals of the project are to improve resiliency to Back Bay through strategically restoring and creating new marsh island habitat to maximize habitat diversity and protecting the ends of the new marsh from continued erosion during wind tide events.
• In turn, the restored vegetation and protective features will provide a host of other co-benefits including:
  • Promoting re-establishment of aquatic vegetation
  • Reduction of wave heights and water velocities through the project area during wind tide events
  • Recreational opportunities as the fish and wildlife species that used to be abundant in Back Bay will populate the reclaimed habitat.
    
  • As opposed to one continuous marsh platform, terraces optimize the amount of marsh edge which is highly valuable real estate to a variety of species.