Introduction

There are essentially three main approaches to managing saltmarsh, these involve:

It is essential to select a suitable management technique based on the conditions prevalent at the site to be managed.

Full details of available management techniques are provided here, together with case study examples. Further case study examples (including information on scheme design, materials and installation methods) are provided in Environment Agency R&D Note 473, Maintenance and Enhancement of Saltmarshes (Carpenter and Brampton, 1996) and ABP (1998) Review of coastal habitat creation, restoration and recharge schemes (http://www.estuary-guide.net).

At a local level, techniques that improve the characteristics of or restore the saltmarsh (for example, grazing management or the control of drainage onto the marsh) are the most commonly adopted management measures. Where the problem is potentially more challenging and the saltmarsh is eroding, there has been a general shift in the approach taken to management away from techniques that aim to prevent erosion and promote accretion towards techniques that allow the landward migration. Traditional hard engineering techniques that have been used in the past have fallen out of favour due to their influence on the nature conservation value and ‘functioning’ of coastal and estuarine systems, particularly in areas adjacent to or within European designated sites (SACs or SPAs). Soft engineering techniques that do not permanently modify the landscape but rather work with natural processes are now preferred.

However, although traditional hard engineered techniques are now less favoured, they can be used in combination with several other techniques on a smaller scale. Therefore, the discussion of techniques that follows includes both hard and soft engineering approaches as, ultimately, they are potential techniques that could be applied in the right circumstances.