Redesigned S. Cape Meadows Protects Communities, Boosts Eco-Tourism

SOUTH CAPE MAY – Celebrating its 10-year restoration anniversary, the South Cape May Meadows Preserve on Sunset Boulevard, was the scene Sept. 13 for state and local representatives and agency experts who showed how new coastal systems protect communities from erosion, sea-level rise and storm surge. 
The meadows consist of freshwater coastal wetlands, forests, and fields, as well as an ocean beach and dune system which contains the Cape May Point State Park and The Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge.
A globally-renowned spot for birding, the 200-acre preserve is managed by The Nature Conservancy. That organization, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, state Department of Environmental Protection, National Fish and Wildlife Service, Cape May Point State Park, City of Cape May, Lower Township, and boroughs of Cape May Point and West Cape May, partnered in a two-phase project.
The first phase restored the wetlands and dunes. The second phase included installation of a gate system that allows draining or filling of the freshwater marsh in preparation for storms or to benefit wildlife.
The $15-million project began in September 2004 when approximately 1.4 million cubic yards of sand were pumped from an offshore borrow area to build the beach and dune system.
Invasive Phragmites
Initial control of the invasive Phragmites took place beginning in the fall of 2005.
Construction related to the internal hydrology, water control structures, and endangered species habitat was completed in the spring of 2007.
Five years of monitoring after the project’s completion tracked wildlife and vegetation.
According to Nate Woiwode, North American Risk Reduction and Resilience project manager for The Nature Conservancy, and director of Naturally Resilient Communities, the Meadows Preserve is a “unique place.”
While the “exact work done there can’t be necessarily picked up and put elsewhere, the mentality of all the groups working together provided a wealth of information and experience” that is being used at the national level in other projects.
“Each of the partners came to the table with different ideas of what they wanted,” added Dwight Pakan, Lower Cape May Meadows project manager, Army Corps of Engineers.
“The municipalities came with concerns for flooding, for example. What was really key to its success was the engagement of the community with the technical knowledge and the willingness of everyone working together,” he added.
Birds Bring Bucks
According to Adrianna Zito-Livingston, Cape May Preserve coordinator, The Nature Conservancy New Jersey Chapter, 90,000 cars enter the preserve annually, mostly for the approximately 60,000 raptors and over 1 million seabirds that stop there during their seasonal migrations.
The area is also home to full-time residential birds including a large variety of wading birds, songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds, including the federally-threatened piping plover.
It’s estimated that $313 million annually is brought into the county by birders who visit other sites, stay in hotels, motels, and other places, and eat at nearby restaurants, according to Patricia Doerr, director of Coastal and Marine Projects, The Nature Conservancy New Jersey Chapter.
Preserve Reinvented
The preserve has been reinvented over the years, according to Zito-Livingston, from being part of South Cape May, a Victorian resort town established in the 1840s until much of it was washed away by a storm surge in the 1950s, to an open meadow where cows could be found grazing.
When The Nature Conservancy took over the site in 1981, the departure of the cows left the site vulnerable to the highly-invasive marsh reed, Phragmites, which can survive in salt water.
Beginning around 1953, according to The Nature Conservancy, the meadows began to experience significant erosion at the rate of approximately 15 feet per year.
In addition to the loss of over 124 acres of wetlands and 1,100 feet of shoreline, storms began to breach and overtop the weakening dune system, frequently inundating the area with salt water.
Sometimes the salt water would spill over Sunset Boulevard and flood the nearby homes.
The salt water intrusion leads to the death of trees, shrubs and freshwater wetland vegetation, allowing the proliferation of the Phragmites, choking out other vegetation and providing little value to wildlife.
Protecting the Land
“We have been lucky that we haven’t had a severe test yet since the work has been completed,” noted Zito-Livingston, “but we have a system in place that now allows only fresh water in, and enables us to monitor the water levels when storms or heavy rains hit.”
During Hurricane Sandy, South Cape May Meadows Preserve protected Cape May Point against the third highest storm surge experienced since Hurricane Gloria in 1985; its restored wetland absorbed nearly 10 inches of rainfall, the highest recorded level since 1985, resulting in minimal damage to the nearby neighborhoods, according to The Nature Conservancy.
The water control system is connected from Cape May Point through the state park and meadows to empty into Cape Island Creek, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
The footpaths throughout the preserve serve as dikes that divide the property into cells that each can be separately controlled regarding water levels.
During Hurricane Sandy, the cascading effect of the dikes allowed The Nature Conservancy to control the amount of water in the area.
“Working with Cape May Point and the state park ahead of time, we are able to lower the level of Lake Lily and stay on top of the water level to provide protection to the natural habitat and nearby homes,” Zito-Livingston added.
The water level adjustment starts in the spring, and one way it’s measured is by the number of birds feeding close to shore.
Improving the Habitat
Restoration of the beach and dunes has improved the habitat for beach-nesting birds, and Zito-Livingston said there are more varieties of birds seen there.
An 18-foot dune is forming to the high-tide line as designed although the overall numbers of piping plovers in south Cape May County “are struggling.” Four pairs of American oyster catchers and “some” plovers were seen this summer.
Regarding vegetation, Phragmites no longer dominate any of the wetland communities, and plant diversity has increased. She said at the start of the project, about 160 acres were sprayed with an herbicide to kill the invasive marsh reed. Today, about 20 acres are sprayed.
Visitor amenities such as observation platforms were also included in the project.
“Before this project, if you stood on the platform, you couldn’t see over the Phragmites because they were so tall,” Zito-Livingston said. “Now, you can stand here and see across the meadows and see the dunes, wildlife, and vegetation.”
The Conservancy’s 2014 analysis of the economic and social benefits of the ecological restoration at South Cape May showed that at South Cape May Meadows, the average flood damage per storm before the restoration was $143,713. After the restoration, flood damage decreased to $3,713 per storm (for the same level of storm surge).
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.