Science ahead of the storm may inform marsh restoration at Prime Hook NWR

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Press Release
Science ahead of the storm may inform marsh restoration at Prime Hook NWR

New science used to measure the effects of storms like Winter Storm Jonas on coastal areas along the Atlantic could help inform marsh restoration efforts at Delaware's Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

The Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) Network is an effort initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) after Hurricane Sandy to measure wave height, force, speed, and extent during hurricane-induced storm surges. The Network is supported by federal funding for Hurricane Sandy recovery through the Department of the Interior.  

Scientists say data collected by the SWaTH Network will be used to refine storm-surge models, create more accurate flood forecasts, design more effective flood-protection infrastructure and inform land-use policies.

During summer 2015, USGS worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff at Prime Hook NWR to install an array of storm-tide sensor (STS) stations extending from the coastline, through wetlands and to upland areas of the refuge. STS stations were installed in the footprint of the planned barrier beach and back-barrier marsh restoration project, as well as other intact areas of the marsh.

In response to the forecasted development of Winter Storm Jonas on Jan. 21, 2016, USGS worked with Service staff and others to deploy the sensors at Prime Hook and other coastal areas expected to receive moderate to major tidal flooding from the storm. In all, teams deployed about 100 sensors from the Delaware coast north to southern Connecticut.

Sensors also were deployed at STS stations at Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore.

In addition to gauging the effects of Jonas, Laura Mitchell, Regional Coastal Ecologist for the Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System in the Northeast Region, said the SWaTH Network also can help inform the federally funded $38 million beach and marsh restoration project underway at Prime Hook since it will enable scientists to gather data on the changes in wave action and flooding over the upcoming years.

“The really exciting thing is that three of the SWaTH sensors were positioned just behind a newly created barrier beach in the back bay, which is a major part of the restoration effort happening at Prime Hook,” Mitchell said. She said USGS collected data in this same area during Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015 -- just prior to the beach replenishment work.

“In fact, the contractors were scrambling to get newly arrived equipment out of the way just before that storm, and SWaTH sensors recorded high levels of flooding and waves associated with that storm,” she said.

If all goes as planned, Mitchell said, USGS and Service scientists will be able to collect data showing the capability of the restored barrier beach to reduce or abate flooding and waves at Prime Hook during Winter Storm Jonas. She said the team is now working to recover and process the sensors and will share results as soon as possible.


“The ultimate goal is to record the storm’s effects on these sensitive coastal habitats,” Mitchell said, “and to provide data needed to increase our understanding of how storm-tide and wave energy disperse through wetland and other landscapes.”