used the dredged material to build up large open water and mudflat areas, re-establish tidal marsh vegetation, increase sedimentation rates, facilitate marsh migration and climate change adaptation and prioritize a matrix approach to habitat restoration that supports critical bird species. The Abbotts Meadow restoration exemplifies how beneficial use of dredged material and fine-grained sediment management techniques can be replicated at other wetland management sites, even on a smaller scale. It also serves as a model for wetland restoration and climate resiliency projects along the coastline. WSP meticulously handled the project’s planning, design, and engineering, and managed the construction of dredging and sediment placement at Abbotts Meadow. Accomplishments & Accreditations • New Jersey Alliance for Action – NJ’s Leading Capital Construction Project Award
Background The Abbotts Meadow restoration project proved that one project’s trash can be an agency’s treasure. The Abbotts Meadow marsh suffered from years of degradation due to human impact and sea level rise. With every tide, water inundated the 365-acre marsh, was trapped, and could not drain out. The marsh was drowning, and wildlife was suffering. Five miles south, a new port was under construction to serve an emerging offshore wind industry, marshalling New Jersey’s transition to clean energy. The port required access to navigable waterways and creating new channels to connect to deep water in the Delaware Bay. Dredging new channels generated approximately 600,000 cubic yards of clean sediment – the equivalent to approximately 45,000 dump trucks of dirt. As project lead, WSP designed the dredging and restoration projects, from concept through full engineering and permit approvals, to hydraulically pump the sediment to the Abbotts Meadow site. Impact The school supports the local community. It's need stems from The largest project of its kind in New Jersey, the Abbotts Meadow Restoration project restored 365 acres of the Abbotts Meadow Wildlife Management Area through the beneficial reuse of approximately 600,000 cubic yards of fine-grained dredged material. The project
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