Coastal Impoundment Vulnerability and Resilience Project

As part of New Jersey Audubon Society’s Coastal Impoundment Vulnerability and Resilience Project, Princeton Hydro was contracted to inspect and analyze coastal impoundments along the East Coast.

Coastal impoundments allow for the active management of water levels, therefore creating a unique habitat that can influence a diversity of bird populations. The ability to maximize the ecological value of these relatively small impoundment areas to the benefit of numerous species is remarkable.

Ranging from coastal areas of Massachusets to Virginia, Princeton Hydro conducted visual engineering inpsections and vulnerability assessments for fourteen impoundment clusters:

-Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, MA

-Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, NY

-Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, NJ

-Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, NJ

-Kingsland Impoundment, NJ

-Heislerville Wildlife Management Area, NJ

-John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, PA

-Thousand Acre Marsh, DE

-Prime Hook, DE

-Deal Island Wildlife Management Area, MD

-Fairmount Wildlife Management Area, MD

-Hog Island Wildlife Management Area, VA

-Princess Anne, VA

-Doe Creek Wildlife Management Area, VA

The engineering team specifically looked for evidence of erosion, overtopping and other conditions that might compromise the stability of the embankments. First, the waterward area was observed to determine the relative protection that may or may not be provided by any existing marsh area or artificial structures. Second, the area inland from the impoundments was observed to determine if the impoundment was potentially providing any storm surge or energy dissipation services for inland structures which might include homes, businesses, roadways, utilities or other structures. Supplementing the desktop GIS analysis, the in-field inspection data provided detailed information on the structural integrity and vulnerability of the embankments, which provided valuable insight for management of the impoundments.

The findings of the inspections and GIS site evaluations were presented to impoundment operators from across the Mid-Atlantic region. The presentation provided the operators with knowledge which will help them improve the operations of coastal impoundments and increase the resiliency of the structures they manage.