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The Bahamas Creek Restoration Project
Stew Morrison - Local Coordinator (all images provided by Mr. Morrison)
Wetlands
in The Bahamas are being destroyed through urban encroachment and
invasion of roads. Insufficient bridge capacities, causeways, and dikes
have been reducing water flow between coastal wetlands and the ocean
leading to increased sedimentation, decreased coral growth, and decline
of marine macroalgae. Mangrove ecosystems have been especially
adversely affected, decreasing their ability to stabilize shorelines,
prevent erosion, contribute to the intricate food webs nearby, and
support the life cycles of marine organisms. Mangroves are pioneer
species allowing them to colonize new areas and regenerate damaged
habitat. These traits enable them to re-establish themselves and lend
them well to restoration projects.
In 1999, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries, along with the Wetland Restoration
Committee, and Texas A&M established the National Creeks and
Wetlands Restoration Initiative (NCWRI)
To identify creeks and wetlands in need of restoration and rehabilitation.
To implement prescriptive measures that facilitate the return of ecologically functional wetland ecosystems.
To encourage participation of local communities in the conservation
and wise use of creeks and wetlands, and to encourage involvement in
the restoration/rehabilitation projects undertaken.
To raise public awareness of the values and benefits of creeks and
wetlands in local government planning and decision-making on land use
and development.
To do an inventory and description of those creeks and wetlands
that should be considered as preserves, and to develop and implement
management plans for those sites set aside as reserves.
To develop management protocols to ensure the sustainability of
creek and wetlands systems and to provide for remediation and
mitigation in light of urban encroachment.
 Bird Pond
The
first restoration project of this initiative was Bird Pond in Mastic
Point, North Andros, started in 1999. Although originally a bay
connected to the Atlantic Ocean, man-made and natural events had filled
in the channels and cut off the water flow except for at the highest
tides and storm conditions. The biological function of the wetland was
seriously compromised during its conversion from bay to land-locked
pond. The growth of the mangroves proliferated and, without the water
flow to disperse the leaf litter, their detritus accumulated into
sediment causing the pond to become ever shallower.
Working
with local contractors and volunteer support, a channel was cut through
the beach ridge from the pond to the ocean and installed culverts with
water-control capability to restore tidal flow (see Fig 1). Between
August and October 1999 post-restoration monitoring was performed as
well as surveys of the pond's biota.
 Sharp
water level fluctuations ceased to occur after the restoration project
was completed, and water quality remained constant thus preventing a
summer fish die-off as had occurred in previous years. Turbidity, or
cloudiness of the water, was noticeably decreased and the fine sediment
near the mouth of the creek was swept away. These conditions lent
themselves to the re-establishment of photosynthetic marine plant life
and corals. Several species of macroalgae are now present once again in
the restored area and consequently there has been an increase in faunal
abundance and  diversity
now that such food is available. Turtles, blue crabs and several fish
species have been recorded. Shorebirds have moved to the edges of the
mangroves and previously absent dove and pigeon species have been
reported. More frequent bird surveys need to be conducted before the
effects upon migratory birds can be assessed.
The amount of
property damage attributed to storm surges and heavy rains has markedly
decreased. The newly opened creek allows rapid drainage and facilitates
fresh water run-off into the ocean.
The Bird Pond restoration
project has been a success from not only a purely ecological
perspective, but also according to social criteria.
Cemetery Pond
The
Cemetery Pond restoration project, south of Bird Pond on Mastic Point,
North Andros, was the next endeavor of the NCWRI and was completed in
2000. It was initiated to restore thousands of tidal marine nurseries
that produced reef and sea fish, lobsters and conch, and was once a hot
spot for sharks and barracuda. The pond had two openings, one an
underground cavern that served as a natural culvert, the other a creek.
However, roads were built over the creek and covered the opening,
causing the pond to stagnate without the regular tidal flow. The
restoration project installed two ditches with water control culverts
that have restored the previously blocked access to the sea and allowed
the return of the marine life (see Fig. 1).
 School Pond
The
School Pond restoration project, located south of Cemetery Pond, was
completed in 2001. The project improved tidal flow to a series of
mangrove wetlands. A ditch was completed from the pond to the sea and
that pond was joined to a more land-locked pond by way of a culvert
control structure through a road so that both ponds would regain
regular tidal flow (see Fig 1). Post-restoration monitoring has not yet
been completed.
Figure 1.
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