Spartina or Phragmites, that is the question. Sand that has accumulated on the south side of the new jetty on the south side of Amherst Inlet has reached the very end of that jetty. As you are reading this, the sand is now spilling over into the inlet itself and is accumulating on the south side of the inlet at its narrowest point. If it continues, it’s only a matter of time before the inlet will close up and restrict boat access to almost 1000 waterfront homes.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has very strict rules and regulations of what we can, and cannot do. We cannot use bulkheads, revetments, rocks or any unnatural or hardscaped materials to stabilize the shoreline. Because of the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation (i.e. Eelgrass), we can only do very limited dredging.
Last spring, with a grant from the Barnegat Bay Partnership, BSHCA planted a 200 ft. living shoreline consisting of 2500 spartina (salt marsh) plants along Allen Road beach. This was a test pilot project to find a way to stabilize the beach to prevent Amherst Inlet from closing up. The month of June brought a series of raging nor’easters that battered the shoreline. In the fall of last year hurricane Irene took its toll.
An inventory was taken after all the storms and out of 2500 plants, 480 had survived. At present the
spartina is dormant for the winter and we are waiting to see how much emerges from the rhizomes this spring.
At this point in time, because we are losing the battle with Amherst Inlet shoaling in, we have to make a decision whether to continue with the spartina (salt marsh) or planting the much more aggressive growing phragmites (common reed) to stabilize the beach. As you may have noticed, phragmites is naturally overtaking the 30,000 American Dune Grass plants that BSHCA planted between the Allen Road boardwalk and the scarping. Eventually you will not be able to see the water from the boardwalk left unchecked. Like cancer, it is almost impossible to eradicate. The more you cut it, the faster the roots grow.
The following are some questions and answers regarding phragmites:
What is Phragmites?
Phragmites australis, common reed, is an aggressive, native, 8-16 foot tall, coarse perennial grass which frequently grows in the moist soils of tidal and nontidal wetlands. It has invaded many marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay region by forming dense stands which crowd out other native marsh plants. Its status as a facultative wetland species (i.e., adaptable to a variety of wetland types) means that the habitat it occupies is most likely a wetland subject to federal, state, county or municipal regulation.
However, Phragmites also grows well in moist upland soils.
Does Phragmites have any value?
Like all wetland vegetation, Phragmites provides food and habitat for some organisms (e.g., rails,
muskrats and other rodents), serves to stabilize soils against erosion, and improves water quality by filtration and nutrient removal, although much less effective removing nitrogen than salt marsh (spartina).
Why is Phragmites considered to be a problem?
Ecologically, Phragmites can be a problem plant because it is an excellent colonizer of disturbed soils and once established it usually crowds out all other wetlands plants. This reduces the ecological value of the wetland by displacing plant assemblages which have better value as habitat (i.e. spartina alterniflora), for stabilizing sediment, or improving water quality through nutrient removal (i.e. nitrogen). Along shorelines, dense stands of Phragmites are objectionable because they obscure water views and encroach on naturalized and ornamental plantings. Once established, it is almost impossible to eradicate.
Spartina or Phragmites, that is the question.
