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What is the Netley-Libau Marsh Restoration Pilot Project?
The Netley-Libau Marsh Restoration Pilot Project was started in 2018 by our project team. The project is a proof-of-concept study to determine the feasibility of restoring marsh vegetation. The Netley-Libau Marsh Restoration Pilot Project was designed under a straightforward scientific rationale, which held that the water in Netley Lake - a large body of water within the marsh - has become too deep to support the growth of plants, and that if we can reduce water depth through the deposition of sediment, then it should be possible to restore aquatic vegetation within the marsh.
Why does Netley-Libau Marsh need to be restored?
With more water and less vegetation, Netley-Libau Marsh has a reduced capacity to remove harmful nutrients from the surrounding habitats. The changes in the marsh have led to a reduction in fish habitat, wildlife, and water bird populations. The net result of these changes is that Netley-Libau Marsh no longer provides the suite of ecological goods and services that it has historically. Restoration and management of Netley-Libau Marsh would help to restore the health of the marsh, allowing it to provide numerous benefits for the surrounding habitats once again.
Project Updates
2021
The first construction phase of the Netley-Libau Marsh Restoration Pilot Project took place in 2021, by dredging material from the bottom of the Red River and pumping this material into Netley Lake to create shallow-water habitats.
2022
Unfortunately, the 2022 season was characterized by extremely high water, making it impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of the work done in 2021. However, at the end of the season in 2022, the Red River Basin Commission (RRBC) conducted The State of Knowledge Workshop to bring together professionals with a wide variety of expertise, knowledge, research, and experience.
2023
In 2023, the RRBC and its partners concluded, through the State of the Knowledge Workshop and ongoing discussions, that restoration efforts in Netley-Libau Marsh should continue. Throughout the year, we focused on developing more effective strategies for future
implementation in 2024. Alongside planning, we also collected extensive data through monitoring vegetation and sediment, while also setting up systems to study water flow. We gathered bathymetry and lidar data to establish baselines for the marsh.
2024
In 2024, we initiated a new phase of our project with the construction of sediment baffles at our project site A. These baffles are made entirely of biodegradable materials and feature a coconut fiber coir curtain anchored to the ground. This method aims to naturally trap sediment flowing into the marsh from the Red River, helping to establish the shallow-water habitat we're working to create.
2022
Unfortunately, the 2022 season was characterized by extremely high water, making it impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of the work done in 2021. However, at the end of the season in 2022, the RRBC conducted The State of Knowledge Workshop to bring together professionals with a wide variety of expertise, knowledge, research, and experience.
We will continue to share updates
as the project progresses.
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