Salt marsh creation and coastal residential developments: principles and guidelines for landscape architecture practice

Abstract

Salt marsh creation provides functions and values that are essential to maintain the welfare of people and the integrity of coastal area ecosystems. The literature review provides greater understanding of salt marsh functions and values technical information regarding wetland creation in coastal regions. Interviews and case study analyses identify issues and opportunities regarding salt marsh creation. Products of this study include a model approach, criteria for project evaluation, and principles and guidelines for salt marsh creation and coastal residential development.

Model approach applies the technical information and processes of salt marsh creation provided by scientists and engineers to the landscape architecture design process. The model approach encourages involvement of the client and other professionals throughout the planning and design process. The proposed criteria provide a framework for landscape architects to evaluate the structure and function of created ecosystems and developments. Four salt marsh creation projects around the Chesapeake Bay were selected for review and evaluated according to these criteria. Each project provides evidence that salt marsh creation can benefit residential developments by providing long-term shoreline protection, water purification, wildlife habitat, and amenity of a naturalistic landscape. Design principles and guidelines will help ensure that the model approach is used by developers to attain salt marsh creation that fits the patterns and functions of surrounding ecological systems and increases residents' awareness of both functions and values of salt marsh and the larger.