Project Summary

1. Project Identification

Name	Ft. McHenry Tidal Wetland Restoration
Region	Mid-Atlantic
State	MD
Location	Ft. McHenry National Monument
Date of this update	August 12, 1999

2. Problem(s) addressed (check one or more)

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project Description (100 words or less. Please include qualitative information, e.g. acres of habitat restored, miles of steam reopened to migration, and legislative authorization, e.g. WRDA, ISTEA, CWA/NEP, CZMA, etc.)

The pilot effort of this new program is a salt marsh restoration project at Fort McHenry National Monument. In partnership with the National Park Service, the National Aquarium in Baltimore (NAIB) staff and volunteers are working to restore and maintain this 10-acre tidal wetland, created in 1982 in fulfilment of mitigation requirements related to the construction of the Ft. McHenry tunnel. The Ft. McHenry site is strategic due to its: location at the head of a tidal tributary that receives waters from three highly urbanized watersheds (Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls and Patapsco River); and significantly as a cultural landmark with public access and visibility for the Fort's 600,000 annual visitors.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

The Ft. McHenry demonstration site will be used to develop, test, and refine the created tidal wetland volunteer monitoring protocol. Additionally, NAIB is coordinating maintenance and restoration activities which include regular removal of debris, invasive species management, replanting native grasses, hydro logic regime maintenance and instillation of habitat enhancement structures. In addition to the protocol, NAIB will use the Ft. McHenry site to develop a model for public involvement in tidal marsh restoration and provide a platform for conservation education and outreach.

In addition to data collected by volunteers, NAIB is proposing to install, track, and maintain a multi parameter water quality monitoring station offshore Ft. McHenry National Monument. The generation of water quality data at this site will help further an understanding of the cause and effect of human activity on water quality in small watersheds. Through workshops with three local watershed associations, NAIB will use this information to interpret watershed health, provide a forum for sharing innovative ideas for watershed protection activities, and promote regional watershed stewardship. Furthermore, the quality data received from this urban station will allow the Aquarium and Morgan Stare University the unique opportunity to communicate vital conservation messages to a broad community through existing educational venues.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

• Federal

  Lead: NOAA, National Park Service, Army Corps of Engineers,EPA

• Non-Federal

  State government
  Local government
  Private industry
  Public interest groups
  Educational Facility: Morgan State University and National Aquarium in Baltimore
  Other partnerships

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

• Cash

  Federal		NOAA
  Non Federal	State government
  	Local government
  	Private industry
  	Public interest groups
  Total

• In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar value)

  - NAIB Aquarium Conservation Team volunteers

• Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)

  - NAIB Aquarium Conservation Team volunteers

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

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8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

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9. Project Status

Initiation date	December 1997
Completion date	Underway
Current stage	Underway

10. Contacts

• Project Manager

  Glen Page
  Director of Conservation
  National Aquarium in Baltimore
  Pier 3,
  501 E. Pratt Street
  Baltimore, MD 21202-3194
  410/576-1080

• Participating Agency/Organization Contacts: (e.g. volunteer groups, conservation groups, state agencies, and other federal agency contacts)

11. Any additional information/comments

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This page was last updated on Saturday, 24-Jun-2000 11:48:47 EDT
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