The 1,017-acre Piermont Marsh at the southern edge of the village of Piermont, four miles south of Nyack in Rockland County, is one of four sites within the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (HRNERR).
It is the largest brackish tidal marsh in the estuary, providing an ecologically significant habitat that is uncommon in the region.
During Hurricane Sandy, which severely impacted the area, the marsh acted as a wave buffer and filtered water-borne debris, which accumulated in the marsh instead of affecting residences and village infrastructure.
Ongoing monitoring and a review of historical aerial imagery and maps indicate that the Piermont Marsh shoreline has eroded 1/2 to 1 1/2 feet per year over the past 75 years.
Since July 2022, HRNERR, in partnership with the Hudson River Valley Greenway, New York State Thruway Authority, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, has been implementing a pilot shoreline stabilization project at Piermont Marsh to help to protect against marsh loss and bolster the resilience of the village.
Coir logs and two parallel oyster castle sills are being installed in the intertidal zone along the edge of the marsh to control erosion by reducing wave energy and promoting sediment accretion.
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Photo of Piermont Marsh courtesy DEC.
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