Indian Island Wetland Restoration

Indian Island

Tidal Wetland Restoration

PEP has been carrying out wetland monitoring at this location for ten years through the regional “SET” program: Surface elevation and marsh accretion is monitored by PEP, NYS, and The Nature Conservancy at several Surface Elevation Table (SET) benchmark locations around Long Island. These SETs are long-term monitoring devices that provide data on tidal wetlands.

Background

Every year, over 74,000 people visit Indian Island County Park to utilize existing hiking trails, camping grounds, picnic, and recreation areas on the Peconic Estuary. Wetland restoration at Indian Island was listed as a priority project in the 2020 PEP Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan and was designated as a high priority site for Suffolk County since 2016 through the PEP Habitat Plan.

This project site is located within Indian Island County Park in Riverhead along Terry’s Creek.

Project Restoration

Project Goals

Project Status

Project Partners

How is a salt marsh restored?

Restoration Methodology

An existing channel is dredged between interior of the park and Terry’s Creek.
A new culvert is installed to enhance water exchange.
A new intertidal channel is created to further increase the sites ability to capture and manage water.
A Turbidity curtain is created.
A Silt fence is installed to minimize a sediment build-up in the marsh.
The restored marsh system is reestablished using native plants.

Goals

The goals of this project included:

Restoring the former tidal wetland to a high-functioning tidal wetland/salt marsh ecosystem with mixed open water, high marsh and intertidal marsh habitat
Enhancing the cycling of organic and inorganic nutrients and pollutants.
Providing tidal flushing among other biological and physiochemical services.
Improving water quality through marsh buffering conditions in the western Peconic Estuary
Increasing the coastal resiliency.
Continuous monitoring.

Status

This project was completed in 2025.

This project aimed to restore and recreate a high functioning seven acre tidal wetland system by reestablishing tidal connection to Terry’s Creek. The restored wetland and salt marsh will bring back wetland services to the area such as: