Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy

Wetland restoration advances a conservation mission while improving regional and downstream water quality, increasing wildlife habitat, and creating a living classroom.

With a mission to preserve rare and endangered waterfowl species, the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy manages 250 acres of land within the Housatonic/Long Island Sound watershed. Located along a federally recognized Important Bird Corridor, their property supports over 100 rare and endangered bird species. A portion of the property known as Ripley Field includes an alluvial marsh abutting drumloidal upland that supports state-listed species of special concern including Eastern Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). Historic agriculture, drainage manipulation, mining, and illegal dumping in Ripley Field caused 6.5 acres of freshwater wetlands to be lost or severely degraded. This has negatively impacted habitat as well as sediment retention, nutrient cycling, and the landscape’s ability to buffer downstream water bodies—including the Long Island Sound—from pollution loading.

After helping the Conservancy procure grant funding from the Audubon CT In Lieu Fee program and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Biohabitats designed and managed permitting for the restoration of the degraded alluvial marsh system. The design, which was informed by an assessment of local and regional hydrology, restores the site’s hydrology and function, connecting it to the larger Ripley Swamp wetland complex and expanding habitat for wildlife that is integral to the Long Island Sound ecosystem.

Slated for construction in 2027-2028, the restored, self-sustaining wetland ecosystem will deliver groundwater recharge, flood attenuation, sediment and nutrient retention, diverse wildlife habitat, and new learning opportunities for the Conservancy’s thousands of annual visitors.

TAGS

• Analysis+Planning
• Design
• Conservation
• Ecological Restoration