A New Plan to Preserve Georgia's Marshes: Give Them Space to Migrate

A new plan to preserve Georgia's marshes: Give them space to migrate

Coastal Georgia's salt marshes provide a critical buffer against storms and sea level rise. (Alphonso Whitfield / WABE)This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. In coastal Liberty County, a creekside park nestled between the town of Midway and I-95 is losing its battle with high tide. “If we walk that way, you’ll be able to see some of the, well, just plain erosion,…

A new plan to preserve Georgia’s marshes: Give them space to migrate

Decades ago, in order to build up a solid foundation for I-95 through Southeast Georgia, construction crews dug some earth near the town of Midway, Georgia, about 50 miles south of Savannah, and left a deep pit. There's now a public park in that spot, bounded by a tidal creek on one side and the leftover dredge pit on the other. Although the park is over 15 miles from the ocean, high tide washes up the creek twice a day. Lush marsh grass fills t…