Project Title and Description
Beach & Wetlands Restoration, Maurice River Bay Entrance, Delaware Bay, New Jersey
Many Delaware Bay wetlands were extensively farmed for salt hay. Their elevation has been lowered by intensive salt hay harvesting changing the historic character of the wetlands. One such wetland site is at the entrance to the Maurice River on the New Jersey side of Delaware Bay. Additionally, many of the small sandy beaches that serve as breeding sites for horseshoe crabs and other marine animals. The proposed project includes rebuilding dikes to surround the wetlands using material dredged from the river to raise their elevation. The wetland shoreline will be sheltered by a series of offshore breakwaters to allow spartina and other marsh grasses to flourish to create a "living shoreline." A stretch of the shoreline north of the river entrance will be restored using sand-sized materials dredged from the river or bay if a suitable source can be found. The physical and chemical characteristics of the dredged material will be evaluated to ensure that it is not contaminated and that it is of a size suitable for beach nourishment.
Faculty Advisor
Drs. Patricia Gallagher and Richard Weggel
Please contact the faculty advisors at pmg@drexel.edu or weggel@drexel.edu.
Team Make-up by Discipline
Civil and Environmental Engineering students