Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Sawyers Island and Rowley River Saltmarshes, Rowley, Massachusetts

IMG_7934
No surf and high fatigue levels brought us to a new spot - Rowley River Saltmarshes, part of the Essex County Greenbelt.
IMG_7933
The Essex County Greenbelt Association is a member supported nonprofit land trust that has conserved nearly 14,000 acres of land in Essex County. Their goal is the creation of "greenbelts" consisting of river, trail, and other natural corridors, coastal systems and visually intact landscapes.
IMG_7930
The new-moon tides put some roads underwater.

This marshland is part of The Great Marsh, which extends from Southern New Hampshire to Gloucester, and is the largest salt marsh ecosystem in the Northeast. The salt marsh is the single most important habitat in New England for the production and maintenance of life. As the "nursery" for many marine species, including herring, oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels, and many other species of fish and invertebrates, the marsh supports a highly divers population of migratory and resident birds, and provides two-thirds of the value of our commercial fisheries. The salt marsh also acts as a filter for nutrients and contaminants moving from the land toward the ocean.
IMG_7948

No comments:

Post a Comment