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DWR Receives Grant to Enhance and Restore Critical Marsh Habitat at Ragged Island Wildlife Management Area
Richmond, VA — Yesterday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is being awarded an $8M grant for Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. The grant will fund the DWR Ragged Island Oyster Restoration and Shoreline Protection Project which is designed to protect and enhance the fast-eroding 1,537-acre marsh ecosystem at Ragged Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on the James River.
The project will include the construction of 56 low breakwaters, each of which will include oyster reef habitat and associated living shoreline plantings. This will protect more than 1,500 acres of natural marsh and create more than 2.5 acres of new marsh between the breakwaters and current marsh edge. The creation of oyster reefs will contribute more than 2 acres of restored oyster habitat, providing enhanced fisheries habitats in this section of the James River. The diversity of wetland, creek, and river systems protected by this project provide nursery, foraging, and breeding habitat for a multitude of fish species.
Research conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science as well as DWR indicates erosion has led to the loss of more than 280 feet of marshy shoreline in the planned project area since 1937. The implementation of this project will not only add important habitat and enhance water quality, it will also increase the resiliency of the marsh and other wetland habitats by drastically reducing erosion.
The success of this monumental project lies in DWR’s partnerships with Ducks Unlimited and Christopher Newport University. Their strategic involvement in this project will allow for enhanced community engagement, an efficient and professional construction process, scientific monitoring with opportunities for student involvement, and continued public outreach after the project’s completion.
“Ragged Island WMA offers an outstanding opportunity to restore habitat and improve recreation access in a highly developed and diverse community,” said DWR Executive Director Ryan Brown. “DWR is proud of our long-standing partnership with Ducks Unlimited and are excited about our new relationship with Christopher Newport University which we are certain will result in improved habitats and long-term community awareness about the opportunities that exist at Ragged Island WMA.”
The short, three-year timeline for completion and the need to accommodate public access during construction makes this a unique and challenging opportunity to affect generational change on the landscape. Ducks Unlimited’s proven track record in marsh and wetland restoration made them the perfect partner to ensure that this project is a success.
“The opportunity to be involved on landscape-level restoration projects does not come around very often,” said Edward Farley, Ducks Unlimited Manager of Conservation Programs. “We are excited to partner with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources on such a large effort to restore and protect valuable natural resources along Virginia’s coastline. These coastal resources are critical to people and wildlife like the American black duck.”
When developing this project, the inclusion and engagement of the local community was paramount. This project has the potential to provide enhanced recreational opportunities with improvement of fishery habitat, enhanced coastal resiliency for the area as well as the opportunity for scientific study. By enlisting Christopher Newport University and its Fear to Hope program, expanded outreach, project participation, and scholastic research opportunities will ensure all members of the local community are considered and served throughout the project’s implementation.
“Christopher Newport University students and faculty are excited to join with DWR and Ducks Unlimited in this project which is only 7 miles from campus,” said Professor of Biology Dr. Robert Atkinson. “We’re looking forward to partnering with Isle of Wight as well as Newport News Public Schools to monitor and tell this conservation story.”
This project is anticipated to begin in late fall with a construction completion goal by the end of 2025.
The Ragged Island WMA, located in Isle of Wight County on the banks of the lower James River, consists of 1,537 acres of brackish marsh and small pine islands. There are three major creeks on or bordering the area, and several small waterways and ponds, both brackish and freshwater. The WMA includes interpretive signs, trails, a boardwalk, and fishing pier. There are numerous opportunities for birdwatching, hiking, hunting, and fishing.