Salt Marsh at Smelt Brook Preserve

You are overlooking a salt marsh ecosystem at York Land Trust's Smelt Brook Preserve. Smelt Brook is a nationally designated Wild and Scenic River, providing vital habitat for wildlife, ample recreational opportunities for visitors , and resilience to climate change for the community of York . Through this designation, the York River Stewardship Committee and York Land Trust secured funding to plan and design restoration work on the marshes surrounding Smelt Brook. This restoration work aims to return the natural flow of water to and from areas of salt marsh impacted by centuries of floodplain manipulation for hay and crop cultivation. The Maine Natural Areas Program and the Maine Coastal Program monitor this tidal marsh sentinel site, as well as 11 others on the coast of Maine for changes to vegetation, soil and water levels. Data collected here helps inform us of how Maine's tidal marshes are responding to sea level rise.