(e) Slow-release material will probably contribute even less 

 to the waters of the estuary. 



c. Erosion and Deposition . Sediment movement may bury or dislodge 

 young plants and seriously interfere with the establishment of plantings. 

 This is particularly critical on direct seedings but is also often impor- 

 tant on vegetative plantings. There are many exposed sites where marsh 

 vegetation might do well once established. However, without some kind 

 of temporary protection, new plantings may have little chance of estab- 

 lishing. 



The solution of this type of problem will vary widely. On large 

 deposits of sand lying in and above the intertidal zone, wind transport 

 can be substantial. In such cases, properly placed sand fences may be 

 used to protect plantings and prevent failure (Woodhouse, Seneca, and 

 Broome, 1974) (Fig. 30). Movement by waves or currents is a frequent 

 problem that is usually much more difficult to combat. Remedies that 

 have been tried with varying success are breakwaters of scrap tires, 

 baled hay and scrap tires (Webb and Dodd, 1976, 1978), sandbags (Webb, 

 et al., 1978), sandbags and scrap tires (S. W. Broome, soil scientist. 

 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, personal communication, 1978), 

 fiberglass (Garbisch, Woller, and McCallum, 1975), and cloth or net mulch 

 (Morris and Newcombe, 1978). Unfortunately, temporary protection for a 

 planting may cost more than the planting itself and may not be effective. 

 There is a great need for imaginative development of temporary, inexpen- 

 sive protective devices for this purpose. 



Figure 30. Sand fence protecting marsh seeding (right) from sandy 

 dredge material (left), 4 months after fencing. 



72 



