4 SLAMM FactSheet 8 11.
RHOD
DE
ISLAND
SL
SLAM
MM
MM
Mapps
Sea Le
evel Aff
ffecting Marsh
hes Mod
del
Whhat are SLA
AMM maps?
Whhy are salt m
marshes soo importannt?
SL
LAMM mapss show how coastal wetlands will lik
kely
be lost and in some
s
cases migrate
m
onto adjacent
uplland areas un
nder projected sea level rise scenario
os
of 1, 3, and 5 feet
f in the co
oming decades.
Sallt marshes prrovide us im
mportant “ecoosystem
servvices,” suchh as:
Serving as nnursery habiitats for fisheries and
foraging forr birds
Cleaning annd filtering w
water
Stabilizing shorelines
Reducing eerosion in low
w energy envvironments
Providing aareas for recrreation and ttourism
Acting as a sponge for flood waterss and
reducing uppland floodinng
mate
Sequesterinng carbon to mitigate clim
change
SLA
AMM Projeected Statew
wide Salt Marsh
M
Chaanges Due to Sea Levvel Rise
Seaa Level Rise
1 Ft.
3 Ft.
5 Ft.
Losss (Acres)
450
1895*
3189
Gain (Acres)
1057
1148
2151
Nett Change (Acrres)
607
-747
-1038
* Haalf of the curreent acreage of salt
s marshes in Rhode Island
Whhat threatens our salt marshes?
Acccelerated sea level rise will
w drown marshes
m
that
cannnot migratee landward. Also,
A
fragmeentation caussed
by human, anim
mal, and natu
ural processes threaten our
o
valluable salt marshes.
m
As seen
s
in the photo
p
on the
rigght, hard barrriers like roaadways prohibit salt
maarshes from naturally
n
mig
grating landward as sea
levvels rise.
E. Booth
h
Whhat opportu
unities exisst?
Restorre degraded
d marsh arreas to be more
m
resilieent to sea llevel rise.
Increaase setback
ks for new developme
d
ent in key aareas.
Protecct undevelo
oped land upland
u
to allow
a
marsshes to natuurally migrrate.
Remov
ve and/or prohibit
p
haard barrierss next to m
marsh, suchh as sea walls and roaads.
Educaate and eng
gage citizen
ns, landow
wners, and ddeveloperss.
Priorittize coastall parcels fo
or future co
onservationn and salt m
marsh miggration corrridors.
Inform
m managem
ment of currrently con
nserved parrcels adjaceent to coasstal wetlands.
Work with propeerty ownerrs regarding
g structurees and landdscaping.
C
Case Stuudy
Foster Cove within N
Ninigret Poond
Charleestown, Rhoode Islandd
Study Area:
FOSTER COVE
E
Google Earth
T
The SLAMM
M map on tthe left illusstrates the
“curreent conditioon” at Fosterr Cove incluuding the
locatiions of existiing salt marsshes.
C
Changes aree projected tto be seen at Foster
Cove in the comiing decades as sea level rises to 3
feet oor more. P
Purple shading represeents areas
wheree salt marshhes will likeely be lost. Potential
new m
marsh shadeed brown, arre likely to ddevelop in
uplannd areas (marrsh migration).
W
With 5 feet oof sea level rise, the marsh zone
wouldd likely coontinue to migrate inlland with
furtheer
overalll
wetlandd
loss.
Potential
opporrtunities to support weetland habittat might
includde land proteection and rooad relocatioon.
Cuurrent Conditio
on
Save the Bay
Oppportunities
forr protection?
3 Feet
Seea Level Rise Model
M
5 Feet
S
Sea Level Rise M
Model
Private roads m
managed by
Association
Leearn More
Vieew SLAMM maps
m
for you
ur coastal com
mmunity: http:://www.crmc..ri.gov/maps//maps_slamm
m.html
Expplore more off Rhode Islan
nd’s Resilience Tools: http:://www.crc.urri.edu/activitiies_page/resillience-tools/
Contact: Coastal Resources Management
M
Council
C
• 401
1.783.3370 • JJames Boyd [email protected] or Caitlin Chaffee
[email protected]