Our journey began in March 2021 with the first scientific study which we commissioned to understand the extent of the erosion in Ash Creek after a particularly drastic dredging operation in the channel to the marina that affected the barrier spit. We hired One Nature, the ecological scientists who had developed our Master Plan of Conservation for Ash Creek ten years before. They concluded that the barrier spit could be underwater within 15 years, if current erosion trends continued.

There are many studies required before any restoration technique can used in a tidal wetland. The fieldwork includes: a historic aerial analysis, cultural/indigenous land use history, topographic/bathymetric surveys, habitat assessment (marsh plants, fish, shellfish), tidal monitoring/datum, resource delineation, sediment/geotechnical characterization, vegetative/benthic/bio benchmark survey.

The goal is to create a sustainable plan to build up the tidal marshland and barrier spit dunes to outpace sea level rise. Our tidal wetlands are drowning due to sea level rise and our sand dunes and shoreline have been eroded by storms. A living shoreline technique called Thin Layer Placement (TLP) may be the most desirable technique to save our tidal estuary, but we won't know until the studies are completed. Other living shoreline techniques may come into play such as oyster habitats, plantings, or wave energy reduction.

Last evening Laura Wildman, PE, Vice President of Ecological Restoration at Save the Sound (STS) announced a $600,000 grant had been awarded to STS for restoration planning at Ash Creek. This grant will cover a one year period.

Another $400,000 grant request has been submitted for the second year of planning. Yes, that's a million dollars altogether!!!

This was cause for celebration among the 68 people who attended our event last evening.

The high tides and flooding from January deposited a large volume of marine debris on the banks of Ash Creek. On February 4, in an impromptu clean up, a crew of ACCA volunteers filled 8 large bags with plastic bottles, food wrappers, styrofoam, etc. The strangest thing we found was the leg of a baby doll. There is still more work to be done. Many thanks to our members Rick Landau, Diane Vulcano, Tony Bhasin, Jen Groves, and Barbara Landau.

Aspetuck Land Trust sponsored a clean up of the Ash Creek tidal estuary on November 11. About 30 volunteers participated and did a great job.

On October 10 & 11, 2023 we completed the work of planting 500 American Beach grass plugs inside the enclosure at the barrier spit. We want to thank 17 students from Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science & Technology Education Center, teachers Holly-Turner Moore & Amy Mcleod, with supervision by volunteers Pete Spain, Tony Bhasin, and Project Manager Rick Landau.

Please join us on Monday, October 2nd at 5:30 PM at the St. Mary's barrier spit picnic tables for a walking tour of one of the stopover areas along the Atlantic Flyway for migrating shorebirds, located right in our midst at the Ash Creek tidal estuary. Milan Bull of CT Audubon will lead the tour. Bring binoculars and wear comfortable shoes!

Location: St. Mary's barrier spit by the picnic tables

Time: 5:30 PM on Monday, October 2

This event is free and open to the public.

Aspetuck Land Trust is sponsoring a community clean up of the Ash Creek tidal estuary on Saturday, November 11th at 10 AM. Save the Sound and the Ash Creek Conservation Association are partnering with Aspetuck Land Trust on the clean up.

Please join us. Wear long pants and long sleeves due to the poison ivy along the shoreline. Bring a rake and/or wheelbarrel, if you can. Meet at the picnic tables at the barrier spit. Thank you!

Ash Creek Conservation Association Teamed Up with Audubon's Wildlife Guard Program and Bridgeport High School Students Over the Summer

Preserving Wildlife and Fostering Education through Collaboration

In a stride towards wildlife preservation and environmental education, the Ash Creek Conservation Association (ACCA) joined forces with the National Audubon's Wildlife Guard Program and enthusiastic students from Bridgeport High School. This unique partnership marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to protect and nurture the delicate ecosystems that thrive in the Ash Creek area.

Finally, on June 27th, CT DEEP sent a letter to the City of Bridgeport Parks Department instructing them to repair the damage to the mudflat and prevent further damage.

The City was told to "prepare and submit a plan to restore the impacted tidal wetlands and intertidal flats. The restoration plan shall at minimum include re-establishing the pre-disturbance ground surface elevations (fill in the holes), install tidal wetland plantings in clearly disturbed areas and implement measures that restrict access to the tidal wetland restoration area. On-going restoration areas shall be restricted through the installation of fencing or roping off access pathways above Mean High Water to deter park visitors. Appropriate signage may be used...."

ACCA, Aspetuck Land Trust, and Chadwick Schroeder, Sustainability Manager in Bridgeport Public Facilities, and Bret Caulfield, Bridgeport Parks Superintendent, will be working together on a restoration plan to submit to CT DEEP.

The City has temporarily blocked off the entrance on the mudflat side of the barrier spit. The City has put up the signs shown above, while the area is being restored. The City's Restoration Plan was originally scheduled to be submitted to DEEP by early October, but they will likely ask for an extension. The public access path will be re-opened after the plantings have taken hold.

The signs are now up. but we don't know the restoration plan yet as the City is reaching out for guidance from CT DEEP on the plantings. The City's Restoration Plan is expected to be submitted to DEEP by early October. The public access path will be re-opened after the plantings have taken hold.

Officers Bruno and Officer Pisanelli have promised to enforce the Restricted Area and will be checking for trespassers on his beat. Remember, parking permits were only required until Labor Day. Officer Bruno was instrumental in getting the Supervisor for Dispatch to understand that this is a new no trespassing area for the police to protect, so that officers can be dispatched to the area.

Please notify the police immediately at (203) 576-7671, if you see any trespassers on the barrier spit or in the mudflat.

If you happen to see someone stepping out of their car or truck with pails and shovels, please take a photo of their license plate and a photo of the diggers on the restricted land. Text to Gail at 203-521-0768, so we can follow up with the police.

If we all work together on this, we can make a difference. Thank you.

We last reported that on June 27th, CT DEEP sent a letter to the City of Bridgeport Parks Department requiring the City to repair the damage to the mudflat and prevent further damage.

ACCA met with Bret Caulfield, Parks Superintendent and Tree Warden, at the site to find out the City's next steps. The City will fence off the area on the mudflat side and put up No Trespassing signs while the area is being restored. Spartina will likely be planted, but we don't know the plan yet as the City is reaching out for guidance from CT DEEP. ACCA has offered to pay for the relocation of the fence for this restoration period. We also want to include educational signage to help people understand why the area is closed off temporarily. We have recommended a community meeting with residents to provide an opportunity for education about the project and discussion.

The City Police can only enforce trespassing on the upland area, but once the City puts the signs up, Officer Bruno has promised to enforce this. We will ask our members to notify us if they see any trespassers once the signs are up.

We continue to ask the City of Bridgeport's Parking Authority to enforce permit parking at St. Mary's, particularly during periods of low tide as shown below. The Parking Authority was moved from the Police Department to the Parks Department on July 1st. Since the Parks Department is responsible for the restoration and protection of the area from the diggers, it would make sense that they would issue tickets to discourage the out-of-town diggers from parking. Most of the diggers are not Bridgeport residents, but some are. It won't stop all diggers, but it will discourage the out-of-town diggers, and thus reduce the amount of damage to the mudflats.

Thank you for those of you who are sending us photos of the diggers. We continue to track the diggers for CT DEEP. If you can also send photos of the police giving tickets, that would be helpful. We've been promised an increase in ticketing, but can't verify that yet. We have noticed fewer out-of-town diggers. Most of the diggers in July have had a Bridgeport Parking Permit, so perhaps there is ticketing occurring that we just haven't noticed.

ACCA has partnered with Audubon Connecticut's WildLife Guard program to provide opportunities for Bridgeport high school students to learn about environmental stewardship. Activities include irrigation, weed control, marine debris removal, public outreach, and identification of various plants & animals.

Our thanks go out to Audubon Land Steward Will Perret, Team Leaders Allison Middlemass & Faith Bouffard, ACCA's Jeff Burress, Jen Groves & Rick Landau.

Over the past few years, the digging for sandworms in the Ash Creek mudflat has accelerated. There are now over a thousand holes in the mudflat from the diggers, because the holes accumulate. The mudflat can't restore itself (there is not enough water flow in the shallow areas). Why do these diggers ignore our signs and roped off areas? The answer is $$$. Most of the diggers fill buckets of sandworms to sell to bait shops.

Representatives from the Town of Fairfield, Ash Creek Conservation Association, and the Connecticut Institute on Resiliency and Climate Adaptation joined Sen. Hwang as panelists. The panelists discussed: the restoration of estuaries and sea grasses, the deterioration of the Ash Creek Tidal Estuary due to rising sea levels, dredging and development, coordination and collaboration of resiliency efforts between Bridgeport and Fairfield, and the potential replacement of water management gates.

Oliver Nurseries installed native ornamental grasses and pollinator friendly perennials near the bench at the corner of Gilman & Balmforth streets. This project was funded by community and ACCA member donations. This was part of the fall 2022 tree planting project. Rick Landau oversaw the project management of the plantings.

Ash Creek Conservation Association's Habitat Protection Committee celebrated Earth Day by roping off areas at the Barrier Spit for the protection of nesting birds, reptiles and arthropods. These measures, approved by the Bridgeport Parks Commission, are temporary during the nesting season. Visitors are free to walk the perimeter of the park, and fish at the point. Please respect these boundaries and share this special area with the entire ecosystem. Rick Landau with Jeff Burress, Diane Vulcano, Jen Groves, Steve Annunziato, Pete Spain, John DarrochMannix, and Barbara Landau.

Milan Bull and Stefan Martin from Connecticut Audubon Society installed 3 tree swallow boxes, 3 house wren boxes, and 1 screech owl box at the Preserve on Thursday, April 13th. 1 bat box to come later. Thanks to Roger Ludwig and the Weny Foundation for arranging and funding this project.

On Saturday, April 8th, a group of volunteers raked, planted native grasses and wildflower mix, raked again, covered with straw, and watered at the Preserve. Thanks to the Weny Foundation & VJ Coates Foundation for funding these projects. Many thanks to our volunteers, Roger Ludwig, Pete Spain, Kate Spain, Jennifer Groves, Jane Silvestro, Nicole Chiravuri & family, & Barbara Marmelstein Landau.

See photos of Blue Heron Wine Tasting & Art Auction on March 24, 2023 on https://www.facebook.com/AshCreek