FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2015
SALT MARSH RESTORATION WORK TO BEGIN ADJACENT TO SMITH CREEK LANDING AT NORTH PENINSULA STATE PARK
~Nature trail will be temporarily closed~
ORMOND BY THE
SEA – Work is set to begin this week on phase four of the salt marsh restoration project at
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s North Peninsula State Park
in Volusia County. During this
phase of the project, the park’s Coastal Strand nature trail will be closed.
Notices will be posted on-site to keep visitors informed of the status of the
trail.
The work will
take place along the Intracoastal Waterway, west of A1A and north of the Smith
Creek Landing use area at the park. Initially the access road will be improved on the north side of Highbridge Road at the park. Contractors will then begin
restoration of another 18 acres of historic salt marsh that was filled with
spoil material during the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway in the early 1900s.
The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection’s North Peninsula State Park continues
its partnership with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the
Floridan Resource Conservation and Development Council on this project. This
work is funded by a grant from NOAA’s Southeast Aquatic
Resources Partnership and the St. Johns River Water Management District.
The goal of this restoration project is to create a
healthy, productive salt marsh habitat which will be connected to open water,
benefiting an extremely wide range of plants and animals. Additional benefits
include scenic overlooks for
hikers, increased recreational fishing opportunities, birding opportunities and
educational opportunities for local students.
Salt marsh is a natural community that is vital in
maintaining thriving aquatic habitats. Often called nurseries of the sea, salt
marsh provides a vital nesting and feeding habitat for many aquatic plants and
animals.
For more information, contact Barbara Roberts at
386-566-4456 or Paul Haydt at 386-937-1203.
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