Flora of Lincoln Park

Flora of Lincoln Park. . , Prior to restoration, the Lincoln Park Wetland Restoration Project Area was a landfill covered in refuse and debris. The area was also cut off from the tides of the Hackensack River. These conditions allowed nuisance, exotic, and non-native plant species to thrive. The restoration project included the excavation of the landfill material and re-contouring the site to create tidal creeks and intertidal habitat. The low marsh portions of the site were planted with smooth cordgrass, a native salt marsh grass. High marsh portions were planted with species such as salt meadow hay, spike grass, big cordgrass, salt meadow rush, and high tide bush. Wetland and upland scrub-shrub areas were planted with woody species such as smooth sumac, American holly, and northern baybarry, among others, to encourage the development of a scrub-shrub/forest ecosystem., As a result of this project, 11 acres of open water/mudflat, 23 acres of emergent marsh, and 3 acres of scrub-shrub/forest communities were restored. A total of 4,900 linear feet of tidal creeks were created, allowing fish passage to the restored pond., This project restored a native salt marsh, community that will ultimately serve to improve the overall ecological health of the Hackensack River ecosystem.