Rocky Neck State Park

A $4 million grant fuels an effort to restore the Bride Brook estuary and coast marsh at Rocky Neck State Park.

A grassy marsh surrounds a calm pond. — Rocky Neck State Park TNC and partners are working to restore the 82-acre marsh at Rocky Neck State Park. © The Nature Conservancy/Tebben Gill Lopez

Thanks to a $4 million grant awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant Program, The Nature Conservancy is moving forward with restoring the Bride Brook estuary and coast marsh at Rocky Neck State Park in Connecticut. Rocky Neck State Park is home to the Bride Brook tidal creek, which flows into Long Island Sound.

A man and a woman wearing waterproof clothing stand in a wetland. — **Rocky Neck State Park** Members of the project team visit the marsh at Rocky Neck State Park. © The Nature Conservancy/Tebben Gill Lopez

Viewing

Living History

Rocky Neck is a coastal area that boasts a tidal marsh, the largest alewife population in Connecticut, a popular beach and boardwalk, a campground and pavilion, wooded trails and an extremely popular fishing site. It has a long and interesting history—learn all about Rocky Neck and why it’s so important to our state in this story map. It’s also known for its position alongside an Amtrak route to the delight of many children who enjoy seeing trains pass during beach visits. The railway bridge was constructed in 1851 and Rocky Neck was established as a state park in 1931.

Unfortunately, the 82 acres of marsh at Rocky Neck have long faced challenges. Specifically, bridges and other infrastructure along Bride Brook are contributing to a lack of full connectivity between the marsh and Long Island Sound. This alters the natural flow of water and disrupts how sediment moves through the system, leading to marsh degradation.

Restoring the Bride Brook estuary and the marsh at Rocky Neck has consistently been among the highest priorities in the state. It has attracted the involvement of numerous groups for decades, including beach enhancements and a critical culvert upgrade in 2009 that improved fish passage for alewife.

This project will further study the issue, as well as determine and design solutions,”

An infographic shows the benefits of marsh habitat. — **Rocky Neck State Park** An infographic illustrates the many benefits of healthy marsh habitat. © The Nature Conservancy

Improving marsh conditions and restoring connections between Bride Brook and Long Island Sound would strengthen the ecosystem and support species migration, including for fish. The results of this work will result in a natural shield for the coastline that buffers the effects of extreme weather events, floodwaters and rising seas.

Additionally, alterations to the existing infrastructure will improve public access to and from the beach while enhancing recreational and educational opportunities.  From an ecomonic perspective, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that tidal marsh habitats provide nearly $10,510 per acre per year in “ecosystem services” that include protective benefits. As a result, a fully functioning system at Rocky Neck State Park could potentially provide around $860,000 per year in benefits to wildlife, visitors and neighboring communities. 

The marsh might seem healthy if you aren’t sure what to look for. However, we see a lot of expanding open pools of water and mud, and there is a loss of vegetation. What we should see is the main creek channel of Bride Brook, bordered by a solid marsh platform, looking like a grassy meadow.

Jessica Cañizares

TNC's coastal restoration project manager in Connecticut

Making Headlines

Media outlets across the state are sharing about The Nature Conservancy's efforts at Rocky Neck State Park.

"Marshland surrounding a beloved CT state park is drowning. It’s one of ‘most imperiled’ in the state." Hartford Courant, December 4, 2024
"Rocky Neck Park gets $4 million grant to study dying marsh." CT Insider, December 4, 2024
"Disappearing CT marsh receives $4M grant from NOAA." CT Public Radio, December 12, 2024
"Rocky Neck State Park gets $4M NOAA grant for marsh restoration." WTNH/News 8, December 4, 2024
"Nature Conservancy Secures $4M Grant for Estuary, Marshland Restoration Planning at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme." LymeLine.com, December 28, 2024

A bridge crosses over a small stream. — **Rocky Neck State Park** Bride Brook connects Rocky Neck State Park with Long Island Sound. © The Nature Conservancy/Tebben Gill Lopez

Project Updates

Check here regularly to learn about progress on our work at Rocky Neck State Park.

Rocky Neck State Park RFP

TNC is seeking a social scientist to lead a recreational study at Rocky Neck State Park. The recreational study will help our project team better understand and assess visitor demographics, frequency of visits, recreational expenditures, activities in which users engage, and barriers to access. View the RFP. (.pdf)

TNC project partners gathered at Rocky Neck State Park for a site walk to discuss marsh restoration, park logistics and maintenance, and recreation. — **Rocky Neck State Park** Project partners of the Bride Brook Estuary Transformation Project assess the marsh at Rocky Neck State Park during a site visit. © Tebben Gill Lopez/The Nature Conservancy

Gloved hands use a tape measure to measure the growth of an oyster encrusted section of reef. — Measuring Progress A volunteer measures oysters at a reef built on Goldbug Island. © Andrea Margiotta

Partnership In Action

Conserving coastal marsh habitat for wildlife also builds resilience to rising seas and increasingly frequent storm events. Achieving this requires looking at the marsh ecosystem as a whole—beyond the boundaries of Rocky Neck State Park. That is why TNC is collaborating with partners on the Bride Brook Estuary Transformation Project to advance these benefits within the area and beyond.

Meet Our Rocky Neck State Park Team

The Rocky Neck project team can be reached at rockyneckproject@tnc.org.

Eli Terris, TNC's Restoration Planning Project Manager in Connecticut, Eli serves as the project manager and community engagement lead for the salt marsh restoration project at Rocky Neck State Park. A fervent plant enthusiast, Eli is a licensed arborist, master woodland manager, and invasive plant management expert. Prior to working within Connecticut's ecosystems, Eli spent four years with the Peace Corps in West Africa. and beyond.

Jessica Cañizares, TNC's Director of Coastal Ecosystem Projects in Connecticut, Jessica supports project management and leads the project’s recreational study effort. She oversees Connecticut coastal conservation and restoration activities, and manages cross-boundary work and relationships focusing on interconnected ecosystems and issues. Jessica has extensive experience coordinating with governments, community members, and NGOs to support biodiversity conservation and restoration in 15+ countries.

Timothy Clark, TNC's Resilient Southeastern Connecticut Program Director in Connecticut, Tim manages the project's consultants and oversees the development of project alternatives and designs. He brings extensive experience as a landscape architect in project design and management, with a focus on implementing coastal habitat restoration and resilience enhancement projects in complex regulatory and cultural environments.

Thanks to your support, The Nature Conservancy protects critical lands and waters in Connecticut.

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