Phase 3 of the salt marsh restoration at the Jacob’s Point Preserve, Warren Land Conservation Trust’s flagship property, is nearing completion, the project now some 17 years in the making about to come to fruition.

The 37.6-acre parcel, located between the East Bay Bike Path and the Warren River, is considered a sensitive tidal marsh surrounded by barrier beach. It's home to several threatened species, including the salt marsh sparrow while also serving as a nesting spot for osprey and purple martins.

The Warren Land Commission Trust has worked in concert with Save The Bay and The Audubon Society of Rhode Island in the restoration effort, funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of Rhode Island, with the aim of "improving the health of the marsh and reduce mosquito breeding habitat by improving tidal flow and removing phragmites in the marsh and other woody invasives."

The initial phase of the project, replacing three stone culverts underneath the footpath at the point, began in 2009, according to Wenley Ferguson, director of habitat restoration for Save The Bay, who has been involved in the effort since its beginnings.

Ferguson explained Phase 2, which took place between 2025 and 2016, dealt with impounded water, both fresh and brackish, that was pooling on the north side of the path. The water was causing the marsh vegetation to die off due the presence of the restricted water. It also allowed for phragmites to expand into the marsh, which "can outcompete the native vegetation when the conditions are fresher."

Of the current Phase 3, Ferguson said, "We're maintaining some of the features we dug 10 years ago and we're doing some additional hydrology restoration out in open march that we didn't do in 2015, so it's a little more holistic. It's a little wider scale project."

The "dire numbers" of the declining salt marsh sparrow population in the region was also of concern to the parties. Peat being removed as part of the restoration is being used to help revitalize their known nesting locations. Ferguson said the peat is used to create "marsh islands" among a shrub called a "high tide bush," which the birds use to weave their nests.

The restoration work also led to the recent discovery of mosquito larvae "everywhere," Ferguson said. The impounded water was clogged, creating an ideal location for the mosquitoes to breed and hatch. Drainage features were dug to improve the situation.

"The way mosquitoes lay eggs they're able to winter over, and so this was the first hatch of the year," Ferguson continued. "So just from our hydrology restoration, we have reduced the mosquito breeding habitat significantly out here just in the last month and a half that we've been working."

Some of the most recent work was done with an excavator owned by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for its mosquito abatement program.

"The fact that our restoration efforts have already had an impact, a positive impact is really rewarding," Ferguson said. "We collaborate with the mosquito abatement program on all these projects, because they all have a beneficial component. These restoration projects can have a dual purpose, both restoration of the marsh ecology and the habitat as well as improvement of public health."