$1.4 million planning project is underway to rehabilitate Scarborough Marsh

Ducks Unlimited (DU) is partnering with Scarborough Land Trust, the Maine Coastal Program, Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and others on a $1.4 million restoration of Scarborough Marsh, a 3,100-acre estuary comprised of tidal marsh, salt creeks, freshwater marsh, and uplands. Scarborough is also Maine’s largest contiguous salt marsh, providing a critical habitat for the state’s endangered saltmarsh sparrow and a refuge for migrating black ducks, other waterfowl, and songbirds.

Scarborough Marsh acts as a barrier, protecting nearby homes and businesses from storm surges. Climate change, rising sea levels, development, historical farming, ditch plugging, and road crossings have caused marsh elevations to drop, making it nearly impossible for the marsh to grow.

Wildlife habitat has been degraded because the natural flow of tidal waters has been manipulated by human interference. When the tides come in, too much water remains on the marsh, creating mud flats, larger pools and eventually, open water. The marsh is eroding, giving way to the ocean. That means less habitat for wildlife.

"There is a lot of biodiversity here," Scarborough Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Mackie said. "A lot of life depends on the health of the marsh, including some of Maine’s commercial shellfish and fish resources that spend their larval and young lives in the marsh."

Salt marshes make up less than 1% of Maine’s land, but their value is immense. They store carbon and filter sediment and toxins from rainwater runoff. Salt marshes also protect homes and businesses built near the water’s edge. As the marsh erodes, flooding has become more frequent and problematic for the residents of Scarborough.

This project will identify impaired areas of Scarborough Marsh and design restoration solutions that will restore the marsh’s natural functions, protect critical wildlife habitat, improve resiliency against rising seas, and mitigate flooding. “Scarborough Marsh is a recreational and ecological treasure. The effects of past farming practices, such as ditching, combined with development and sea-level rise has led to the deterioration of this system over time,” said DU Regional Biologist Bri Benvenuti.

“The need to restore and protect Maine’s coastal marshes, including Scarborough Marsh, is crucial to safeguard these systems for future generations. The partnership that has been developed to begin the process of restoration at Scarborough Marsh is key to ensuring this area remains for future generations to enjoy.”