Reeds threaten the Great Marsh

Geoff Walker has watched the phragmites Australis grow for years, but a new study has proven what he already knew.

Typically, the invasive species that is also called the “common reed’’ starts on the marsh border and spreads, sometimes to the point where it crowds other plant species out. In recent years, that pattern had changed.

“About four of five years ago we looked out and saw tremendous amounts of emerging small stands of phragmites [spread around the marsh], which is atypical,’’ said Walker, a Newbury selectman whose home abuts the Great Marsh. “That is what that study brings to light, and that certain parts of our marsh are reaching a tipping point. Once that tipping point is reached, we could lose broad swaths of our productive, high marsh.’’

The study, released on Jan. 31, has confirmed anecdotal observations, and offered both bad and good news regarding the future of the Great Marsh.

The bad news is that the study found the rest of the northern portion of the marsh - in Newbury and Salisbury - was potentially vulnerable to the invasive plant species.

The good news is that it determined that efforts to contain the spread, including spraying, was an effective short-term solution. The suggestion from the report is that spraying and other techniques could be used to manage the species for the time being.

A more permanent solution generally involves the enlargement or replacement of culverts to allow greater tidal flow, which has shown to restore salt marshes over a number of years. The Argilla Marsh in Ipswich is one that has been restored.

“I don’t think any biologist is a cheerleader for the use of chemicals in a natural system, but we acknowledge that because the threat is seemingly quite dire and increasing every time we go the site - not just year to year, but month to month across the landscape - it is a good approach to buy managers and scientists some time to see what combination of approaches can be used,’’ said Gregg Moore of the University of New Hampshire, who led the team of researchers. “If herbicide is one of those tools in the toolbox, integrated with other approaches, it needs to be reviewed.’’

A third important finding was the confirmation of the anecdotal belief that the major factor in phragmites growth is the level of salt in the water.

The reed can grow in fresh water, but thrives in brackish water, which in general terms has some salt content, but a lesser amount than in sea water.

“What they’re finding is the most critical is that if you do not have good tidal flow, you run the risk of having phragmites,’’ Walker said.

There are myriad threats that come with thick spread of phragmites, most specifically the loss of other habitat.

“The danger is that it creates a habitat that doesn’t support the native biodiversity,’’ said Robert Buxbaum of Massachusetts Audubon Society, who also worked on the study. In the marsh, that could include native plant life, birds such as rails and salt marsh sparrows, and fish habitat that is lost as the plant’s thick root system dries out the marsh. That can cause a negative impact on the fisheries and ecotourism, including birding.

“Locally, people are also concerned because it can be a fire hazard,’’ Buxbaum said.

State Senator Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, one of four chairs for the Legislature’s Great Marsh Revitalization Task Force, said the report could be an effective tool.

“It defines the problem as being significant enough to be worthy of the support of the state and federal government,’’ he said. “It also makes the case that we can do something to effectively combat the problem.’’

The task force is preparing a comprehensive Mass. Environmental Policy Act filing to make it eligible for umbrella permits to conduct an array of activities to combat phragmites throughout the entire area of the marsh, which runs up the coast from Gloucester into New Hampshire.

Peter Phippen, coastal resources coordinator for the Eight Towns and the Bay Committee, a partner in the Great Marsh Alliance, said that further steps are planned to deal with phragmites all over the Great Marsh, including developing a short-term management plan that will include mapping the region and identifying areas threatened by phragmites spread.

David Rattigan can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

  • Great Marsh Symposium 2016 +

    2016 Great Marsh Coaltiion Sea Level Rise Symposium The Great Marsh Symposium: Implications for Quality of Life in Our Communities will be held on Thurs, November 17, 2016 in Essex, MA Read More
  • Public Art Installation +

    Public Art Installation on Display The public is invited to view and experience a new, thought-provoking art installation highlighting the impact of climate change in the Great Marsh ecosystem at the Allyn Cox Reservation in Essex, headquarters of Greenbelt, Essex County’s Land Trust. Ms. Susan Quateman, of Wenham, working out of the Ten Pound Studio, Gloucester, produced the interpretative exhibit in collaboration with designer and photographer Leslie Bartlett of Manchester. The project is sponsored by the Great Marsh Coalition (GMC), and is funded in part by an Essex National Heritage Partnership Grant. Ms. Quateman was inspired to create the installation as a result of attending the 2014 Great Marsh Symposium organized by the GMC, which focused on climate change and presented case studies in local adaptation. The artist, who is an environmental planner was drawn to weave together her passion to protect vulnerable landscapes by painting on silk to illustrate Read More
  • Great Marsh Symposium 2012 +

    The Great Marsh Symposium will be held on November 8, 2012 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA. Read More
  • Phragmites Removal +

    During the final week of September the Great Marsh Revitalization Task Force (GMRTF) implemented its 2012 invasive Phragmites australis management plan in the northern section of the Great Marsh. Read More
  • Scientists: Fertilizers are killing salt marshes +

    October 22, 2012 By Mac Cerullo Staff Writer Gloucester Daily Times For years, scientists have observed a slow decay of salt marshes all along the Atlantic coast without understanding why. Now a newly released study conducted in the local Great Marsh is shedding light on the cause of salt marsh decay and the impact it could have on the environment. Read More
  • Great Marsh Land Protected for New Sanctuary +

    Mass Audubon closed a crucial gap within 8,000 acres of contiguous protected land in the Great Marsh when it purchased 75 acres of vulnerable habitat in Rowley last week. Protecting this mix of salt marsh and upland islands means Mass Audubon can proceed with plans for its newest wildlife sanctuary, Rough Meadows, which began with the vision and generous bequest of the late Professor Alfred J. Chandler in 2007. Thanks to Mass Audubon’s partnership with committed allies and generous supporters, Professor Chandler’s North Shore dream is now a reality. The regional land trust for the North Shore, the Essex County Greenbelt Association (“Greenbelt”), worked in partnership with Mass Audubon to achieve this outcome.  The purchase was funded by a grant from the Open Space Conservancy, Inc., an affiliate of the Open Space Institute;  a contribution from the town of Rowley’s Community Preservation funds; a grant from the Federal North American Read More
  • Reeds threaten the Great Marsh +

    Geoff Walker has watched the phragmites Australis grow for years, but a new study has proven what he already knew. Typically, the invasive species that is also called the “common reed’’ starts on the marsh border and spreads, sometimes to the point where it crowds other plant species out. In recent years, that pattern had changed. “About four of five years ago we looked out and saw tremendous amounts of emerging small stands of phragmites [spread around the marsh], which is atypical,’’ said Walker, a Newbury selectman whose home abuts the Great Marsh. “That is what that study brings to light, and that certain parts of our marsh are reaching a tipping point. Once that tipping point is reached, we could lose broad swaths of our productive, high marsh.’’ The study, released on Jan. 31, has confirmed anecdotal observations, and offered both bad and good news regarding the future of Read More
  • Great Marsh gets share of grant money to protect coastal water quality +

    Newburyport Current Posted May 27, 2011 @ 09:07 PM Newburyport — Ipswich is among several communities to share in $200,000 in federal grants, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. announced earlier this month. The Massachusetts Bays Program Research and Planning Grants will be used to fund projects aimed at identifying causes of coastal habitat degradation, developing plans to address coastal water quality pollution issues, and/or building local capacity to protect coastal resources. “The range of projects funded by this program is representative of the challenges facing our coastal and estuarine resources,” said Secretary Sullivan. “I applaud the commitment of coastal communities and local organizations for their efforts in the ongoing stewardship and preservation of the natural resources within Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays.” The awards, offered for the first time, will be awarded to the following municipalities, nonprofits and academic institutions: The town of Ipswich, to develop a Read More
  • Marsh study reveals peril for Texas Gulf coast +

    By Asher Price AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Published: 7:06 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 IPSWICH, Mass. — Gray upon gray, slosh upon slosh, acre after acre of marsh. Early on a wet dog of a Saturday morning, I had wriggled my way into a pair of extra-large waterproof waders and set out with a team of journalists and scientists onto a portion of the foggy bog north of Boston known as the Great Marsh . Salt marsh was the more technical term: We were between land and sea, in a cracked, muddy landscape, riven with tidal waters. Centuries before, New Englanders had harvested the grasses as hay. Now this marsh, 20,000 acres stretching roughly from Gloucester to Salisbury, is largely a preserve, visited only by intrepid birders, the occasional dog walker and scientists. Beginning in 2004 , researchers with the Marine Biological Laboratory have conducted experiments on the effects of fertilizer on the salt marsh system here. They have essentially Read More
  • 1