Saltmarsh Monitoring - 2024
Concerned about the destruction of the saltmarsh due to human activity, ACCA commissioned a scientific monitoring program by LandTech to monitor the health of the saltmarsh in 2024. This monitoring will continue through 2025.
Report's Conclusions and Recommendations:
Our monitoring shows that no major changes in vegetation cover occurred during the latter half of the growing season in 2024, thus documenting that the closure and enforcement actions implemented in mid-2024 appear to be successful and essential to curtailing the impact documented in previous years and early 2024. With only one season of monitoring completed to date, it is still too soon to open up full public access to some of the conservation zones established to address the sandworm and shellfish harvesting that had seriously impacted the benthic community of the northern shoreline. This area should remain closed to allow additional seasons of growth to re-establish the vegetational communities and the fauna they support and allow for additional consecutive years of monitoring unimpeded.
Master Plan - 2023
This 68-page Master Plan for the Ash Creek Estuary describes the ecological collapse now in progress, an explanation of what is happening, and what can be done. Report created by One Nature LLC.
Sand Spit Analysis - 2021
Concerned about the significant amount of erosion on the sand spit, ACCA commissioned a scientific ecological analysis to determine how much erosion had occurred and the implications of that erosion for the health of the tidal estuary. The results were shocking. We found out that the sand spit would disappear in 15 years or less at the current rate of erosion.
Restoration Plan - 2014
In 2014, ACCA hired Bryan Quinn of One Nature, LLC to create a shovel ready plan to enable the Town of Fairfield and the City of Bridgeport to go after grants to restore the sand spit after the damage by Irene and Sandy. The municipalities met and agreed to the plan, but it was never implemented. This plan needs to be updated to reflect the current conditions.
Master Plan - 2012
ACCA hired Bryan Quinn of One Nature, LLC and Dr. Steve Danzer to create a master plan of conservation for the Ash Creek tidal estuary. We continue to implement this plan almost ten years later.