Project Description: This project aimed to restore marsh habitat by raising marsh and mudflat elevations using onsite and imported sediment, and reestablishing vegetation. The site location was a small salt marsh called Manzanita marsh in the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve had 40-50 treatment plots with sediment treatment. Two sediment layer thicknesses were tested, 7 cm and 14 cm. A mixture of sand, silt, and clay with an addition of local mud was utilized for each treatment plot. An additional plot incorporated dredged sediment to test the effect of sediment type on marsh restoration. Results indicated that thicker sediment additions, 14 cm, were optimal for the restoration of degraded marshes, their higher elevation kept pace with sea level change.
