In 2019, with support from a Healthy Estuaries Program grant from the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership, Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) undertook a review of the tidal barriers across the Great Marsh. The goals of this project were to reduce the impact of aquatic barriers on ecological health and migratory fish in the Plum
Island Sound and Essex River/Essex Bay Assessment Areas by working with communities to implement the recommendations of the Great Marsh Barriers Assessment and to develop a model training tool for barrier prioritization and restoration implementation.
IRWA identified and assessed twenty-seven tidal barriers throughout the Great Marsh. Working with municipal partners and other owners of these barriers, and taking into account their ecological impact and infrastructure risks, the barriers were prioritized for future remediation efforts.
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