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MUSQUASH
ESTUARY A
Proposed Coastal Marine Protected Area A
Campaign of the
In
1997, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB), an environmental
advocacy organization in New Brunswick, joined with two US-Gulf of Maine
partners, the Island Institute and the Conservation Law Foundation, to
undertake the Gulf of Maine Estuaries Restoration Project under the auspices
of Restore America’s
Estuaries, an US initiative of The Pew Charitable
Trusts. Our initial work was to
conduct habitat assessments of significant estuaries in the Gulf of Maine.
CCNB’s assessment of habitat in 12 Canadian Gulf estuaries (Habitat
Lost, 1998) revealed
that all Bay of Fundy estuaries have been significantly altered and their
ecological function degraded, save one. The
Musquash Estuary located 20 kilometres west of Saint John, the largest and most heavily
industrialized city in New Brunswick, stood out as being largely intact and
relatively pristine. Over
the years, action by CCNB and fishermen’s organizations has prevented
industrial development of the estuary, despite it being within the
jurisdiction of the Saint John Ports Corporation. A liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal and a coal port were
two proposals successfully opposed over the years.
Today, Musquash maintains much of its original physical and ecological
features; it has no industry on its shores (although there is a thermal power
plant on adjacent land), and there is very little residential development. Thus
there are few sources
of contamination to the estuary; those that do exist could be easily
eliminated, transboundary airborne pollutants notwithstanding.
Considering the dismal results of the estuary habitat assessment, and
the critical role of estuaries in supporting marine productivity and health,
CCNB launched a campaign in 1998 to have the Musquash Estuary permanently
protected from development or alteration through an MPA designation under the
federal Oceans Act administered by the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans. Besides its relatively undeveloped state, Musquash has other attributes to warrant MPA status. This relatively small estuary (approximately 27 square kilometers) is unique in that it contains all the dominant habitat types found in Bay of Fundy estuaries. It is a macrotidal estuary (mean range of 6 m, maximum range of 8.5 m). Its harbour contains cobble and sand beaches, rocky headlands, rockweed-dominated intertidal zones and islands, and extensive mudflats and benthic habitats typical of estuaries of the outer Bay of Fundy estuaries. The islands provide nesting areas for several species of seagulls, cormorants, and ducks. The Intertidal zone is largely covered in thick beds of rockweed where Common Eiders like to feed. Irish moss and kelp beds are found in the Subtidal zone. These sea weeds help fuel the biological productivity of the estuary and surrounding coastal waters. Supporting a valuable lobster fishery, these waters are populated by many creatures. The estuary is a nursery and feeding area for several saltwater fish and those that migrate to fresh water streams to spawn. A keen eye can often catch a glimpse of harbour porpoise and seals feeding on herring and flounder. Crabs, starfish, and mussels abound.
Habitats
change dramatically at the point where the tidal Musquash River meets Musquash
Harbour. The river is dominated
by muddy banks exposed at low tide, deep, steep-sided creeks, and 800 hectares
(2,000 acres) of salt marsh, the largest intact tract of salt marsh left on
the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy. In addition, Ducks Unlimited impoundments have converted 137
hectares (340 acres) of former agricultural dykeland (drained salt marsh) into
productive fresh water marsh and ponds. (Historically,
the inner Bay of Fundy was dominated by vast tracts of salt marsh.
Beginning in the late 17th century, much of this marshland
was dyked to create agricultural land. In
this century, more has been lost to roads, causeways, dams and
urban development. In total, 85 percent of Fundy’s original marsh
area has been lost). Plant species in the estuary are typical of Fundy coastal and marsh zones. Seaside plantain, often called Goose Tongue, is common. Its leaves can be cooked and eaten. Glasswort, also known as Samphire, is another edible plant. The purple-blue flower of Sea Lavender or Sea Heather blooms on the marshes in mid-summer. Beach pea and oyster plant flourish just above the tidal limit on sand and gravel beaches. Colourful lichens are common. Canada Geese and various species of ducks use the marshes as breeding and feeding grounds and as a stopover point in their yearly migrations. Where forest meets salt marsh, Bald Eagles, ospreys, owls and several species of hawks nest and prey on fish and small rodents. Deer frequently come to graze on the marsh, often gathering in large numbers. The Musquash Estuary is the marine terminus of the densely forested Loch Alva watershed. This large land area is a candidate protected area under the Province of New Brunswick’s Protected Areas Strategy. Should Loch Alva be protected under provincial legislation and Musquash receive MPA status, the entire watershed would be protected. An avifauna survey undertaken by CCNB identified 150 species of birds in the estuary, of which 84 were confirmed as nesting. These figures represent excellent diversity for this northern latitude. The Musquash estuary is a sanctuary of natural beauty and integrity along a coastline that has suffered greatly from industrialization, resource extraction and development. As a Marine Protected Area, and through the ongoing stewardship of citizens and organizations, it will remain an ecological reference point for generations to come. September 2000
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Travelling through Musquash Harbour away from the
open Bay, the rocky shoreline gives way to large tidal mud flats, an often
under-appreciated habitat. Home to abundant seaworms and mud shrimp, these flats
provide a feast for shorebirds that fuel up here on their annual migrations.
Great Blue Herons feed on small fish at the edge of the tide. The flats also
provide the right conditions for soft shell clams. There is a small commercial
clam harvest in the estuary.