Making Room for Wetlands: St. Croix

TransCoastal Adaptations is a Centre for Nature-Based Solutions at Saint Mary’s University that engages in research and partnerships that promote and undertake projects related to climate change adaptation.

TransCoastal Adaptations is situated in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.

At TransCoastal Adaptations, our mission is to help build climate resilient coastal communities and ecosystems by protecting, enhancing, and restoring natural processes through innovative research and collaboration; implementing nature-based solutions.

We are a  trans-disciplinary team  working to understand the ecological, political, and social elements of coastlines and how to successfully protect and restore these unique landscapes.

Making Room for Wetlands (MRFW) is a climate change adaptation and restoration project focused on increasing climate resiliency in dykeland communities. Resiliency is the ability of something to recover or "spring-back" after difficulties. One way of increasing resiliency is to re-establish tidal wetlands where they historically would have been. The MRFW project works to reduce flooding in surrounding communities, create vital habitat, store carbon and reduce other greenhouse gas emissions.

What does it mean to increase resiliency in dykeland communities? Increasing the resiliency of a dykeland community means that it is better able to recover from extreme weather events, cope with sea-level rise, and respond to other impacts of climate change.

When assessing and monitoring project sites, our team works to identify, recognize, and respect the cultural and historical value of the land that we work on. We also recognize the importance and value of  Mi’kmaw traditional ecological knowledge  and ways of knowing. The ongoing MRFW projects are committed to continuing to develop the existing partnership with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM) and working towards a more holistic approach to managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration. By working with an Etuaptmumk, or  Two-Eyed Seeing lens , we hope to enhance the success of tidal wetland restoration efforts.

Two-Eyed Seeing / Etuaptmumk: “learn[ing] to see from your one eye with the best or the strengths in the Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing…and learn[ing] to see from your other eye with the best or the strengths in the mainstream (Western or Eurocentric) knowledges and ways of knowing…but most importantly, learn[ing] to see with both these eyes together, for the benefit of all.”

The dykeland system of Nova Scotia protects agricultural lands, communities, and public infrastructure throughout the province, but the system is at risk of damage from climate change. The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA) is currently working to upgrade some of the most  vulnerable sites  in the province. While not an option at every site, managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration is an important tool in the dykeland upgrade toolkit. To learn more about the NS Dykeland System Upgrades, visit the  Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture website. 

Restored tidal wetland ecosystems play a crucial role in protecting coastal communities from the impacts of natural hazards like storm surges and high tide flooding. The vegetation and dense root systems in the foreshore marsh serves as the first line of defence against powerful wave action. The vegetation acts as a sponge absorbing large amounts of water, as well as attenuating significant wave energy. The reduction of wave energy helps to prevent serious damage to inland communities and critical infrastructure.

Another notable benefit of tidal wetland restoration is improvements to dykeland drainage networks (e.g., streams, rivers, brooks, ditches). By re-establishing natural drainage channels, overland flow can be drained more effectively. These adaptations also work to support the natural movement of sediments and nutrient cycling, contributing to the overall health of the wetland ecosystem. 

Managed dyke realignment is a coastal management practice used to address the challenges posed by sea-level rise, erosion, and flood risk. This nature-based solution involves making controlled changes to the existing coastal infrastructure, such as dykes, to allow the sea to flood previously drained areas. The Bay of Fundy is home to the world's highest tides and as existing dykes and aboiteaux age, they are costly and time consuming to maintain. With increased storm surge, sea level rise, and other impacts of climate change, it may not be possible to continue to build dykes high enough to keep up with the changing environment.

Managed dyke realignment allows for the creation or restoration of tidal wetlands. These important habitats are home to many plant and animal species and provide valuable services like filtering water and carbon storage. By creating or restoring these habitats, managed dyke realignment aims to enhance natural coastal processes and improve overall coastal resilience. 

The process of managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration involves careful planning and consultation with various stakeholders, including local communities and landowners. It requires an assessment of the environmental, social, and economic impacts, as well as considerations for potential changes in land use, property rights, and infrastructure. While dykes are now considered static coastal infrastructure, that does not change the dynamic nature of the coastal environments. As these systems continue to naturally shift and adapt to ever changing conditions, we must reimagine our current approach to coastal protection.

By working with natural processes and allowing for the adaptation of coastal environments, managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration aims to promote long-term coastal resilience while providing ecological benefits and reducing flood risk for coastal communities. Through managed dyke realignment, vulnerable and at-risk infrastructure is better protected, increasing its resilience and longevity. By restoring and increasing the amount of foreshore marsh in front of the dyke, we gain valuable habitats and provide greater protection for the infrastructure and lands behind 

The Making Room for Wetlands: St. Croix Edition will apply the successful MRFW managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration framework to a stretch of the St. Croix River Estuary in the Upper Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. This project will provide critical habitat to support populations of species that are culturally important to the Mi'kmaq including plamu (Atlantic Salmon), punamu (Atlantic Tomcod) and ka’t (American eel), and other fish species. The restored wetlands will also improve climate resiliency of the surrounding communities, through increasing carbon sequestration, reducing green house gas emissions, and reducing the risk of flooding. Re-aligned sections of dyke will provide increased protection against the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.  

Making Room for Wetlands: Coastal Carbon Edition will employ the MRFW managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration framework at dykeland sites in the Bay of Fundy.

This climate change adaptation and restoration project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon storage by both increasing the area of tidal wetlands through restoration and improving drainage on poorly draining lands. The project will also increase biodiversity and improve the resilience of the surrounding dykelands to climate change by accommodating sea-level rise and reducing flood and erosion risks.   

Carbon sequestration is the amount of carbon dioxide that is captured from the atmosphere and stored by plants and soils in wetland ecosystems. Tidal wetlands can store large amounts of carbon because they produce a lot of organic matter, have wet soil that stops old plants from breaking down, and trap an abundance of sediment from rising sea levels. 

Plants found in tidal wetlands grow fast because they do not experience much competition from other plants, and they receive nutrients from the sediments brought in by the tides. The carbon that is stored in these tidal wetlands comes from two places: inside the wetland itself, and from other ecosystems like the ocean or land. Carbon accumulation is the rate at which a wetland stores new organic carbon from both inside and outside the ecosystem. If the wetland gets damaged or something changes, some of that carbon could return to the atmosphere.

One of the main goals of the MRFW: Coastal Carbon Edition project is to increase carbon sequestration by restoring wetlands and improving drainage in dykelands. By implementing nature-based solutions, we allow tidal wetlands to continue capturing and storing carbon dioxide and playing a vital role in responding to climate change.

Each managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration project follows a unique timeline according to its location in relation to the head of tide, and other factors influenced by natural processes. Despite the differences in timelines and trajectories, tidal wetland restoration projects in Nova Scotia typically follow the same three stages of development:

An adaptive management approach is an important part of the Making Room for Wetlands monitoring framework. If a restoration site appears to be progressing as expected, that site can be monitored less often. Alternatively, if wetland restoration is not progressing as expected, monitoring activities may need to occur more frequently to better understand how the restoration plan can be improved.

The St. Croix West Restoration site is a 10.03 ha area of land bordering the St. Croix River crossing of Highway 101 in West Hants County, Nova Scotia. The area was identified as a potential site for tidal wetland restoration in 2007. In 2008, baseline monitoring was conducted, and the restoration design was completed.  In the summer of 2009, dykes on all four dykeland tracts were breached and associated aboiteaux were removed. Following the breaching of the dykes, tidal channels were restored, enhancing fish passage. The 5-year post-restoration monitoring program began in 2010.

Following restoration activities, many bird species such as the Great Blue Heron and Northern Harrier returned to the St. Croix West site. In 2011, red-winged blackbirds were seen at the site for the first time. In its 13 ^th  year of restoration, the St. Croix West restoration site  is a flourishing and highly productive tidal wetland with characteristics similar to those of nearby natural tidal wetlands.

The implementation and original 5-year monitoring program of the St. Croix West site was supported by the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works as part of the habitat offsetting program for the Highway 101 Twinning Project. On-going, long-term monitoring of the site is funded by the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund, and in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq.

The Belcher Street Marsh is located on the north side of the Cornwallis River, Kings County,  Jijuktu'kwejk , "at the narrow river," downstream from the town of Kentville. The site was identified as a suitable site for managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration in 2017. Before restoration activities began at this site, the dykes protected 22.6 hectares of agricultural land, 80% of which was active, and 20% which was fallow.

At the Belcher Marsh site, part of the dyke was straightened, reducing the length of dyke that requires maintenance, and another part of the dyke was realigned behind the original dyke. The aim of this managed dyke realignment and tidal wetland restoration project was to avoid a dyke failure caused by erosion of the existing dyke and to increase the protection of the actively farmed land. The result of this project was the restoration of 9.7 ha of tidal wetland habitat.

The Belcher Street Marsh site underwent a notably rapid revegetation, going from being a mudflat in 2018 to having 83% ground vegetation in Year 2 of restoration (2019). By Year 3 (2020), ground vegetation was up to 96%, with nearly 100% ground vegetation by Year 4 of restoration (2021).

For more information on the Belcher Street Marsh managed dyke realignment site,  click here , or on the card below.

The Making Room for Wetlands: St. Croix Edition is funded by the  DFO – Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund (DFO-AERF)  and is a partnership between TransCoastal Adaptations at Saint Mary’s University, CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. 

The Making Room for Wetlands: Coastal Carbon Edition is funded by the  Environment and Climate Change Canada – Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (ECCC-NSCSF)  and by Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change’s Green Fund, the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works, and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. This project is a partnership between TransCoastal Adaptations at Saint Mary’s University, CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Carleton University.

For more information about the Making Room for Wetlands project, please contact  transcoastaladaptations@smu.ca .

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