Remnant woodlands west of South Rhett Avenue.
Native species inhabit the Noisette Preserve. |
|
Stewards of Our Environment
Natural systems are living, breathing organs, the heart of every
part of the planet, including communities. Redevelopment at Noisette
has been designed to enhance these natural systems and promote
a healthy environment that fosters healthy humans and neighborhoods.
Early maps show the area as a mosaic of tidal saltwater marshes
along the Cooper River, with freshwater or brackish wetlands
bordered by forests of live oaks and pine, and savannah in upland
areas. Conducted at the start of project planning, field surveys
showed that these ecological settings were in a seriously degraded
state caused by centuries of misguided agricultural, industrial
and civil development.
Picture of the Present
Studies showed that historic farming uses had compromised many
settings, and shipyard/base development meant that large areas
of urbanized watershed that once absorbed 85 percent of rainfall
were cleared, overbuilt and paved. Storm water runoff from pipes
and ditches resulted in flooding, poor water quality and habitat,
and drastic alterations to seasonal water table levels – all
major stressors to the environment.
Fragmentation of landscapes has also led to degradation of existing
habitats. Non-native grasses and other plant species now dominate
open uplands. Neighborhoods full of chemically supported lawns
and ornamental shrubbery cause further insult to groundwater,
and stream courses are ditch-like with steep eroding banks that
cannot filter runoff or mediate flooding.
Finally, much of the marsh and floodplain ecosystem has been
lost due to development, filling and clearing.
Past As Plan
Future activities in Noisette will focus on achieving healthy
ecological systems. Sustainable systems are created through a
balance between biological integrity and the needs of humans
who use them.
Here are a few of the efforts outlined under Noisette
master planning:
• Stabilize soils
• Diversify plant and animal communities
• Create sustainable native plant populations
• Improve groundwater/runoff quality, volumes
• Balance compositions of ecological components
• Improve capacity to adapt to disturbance, climatic swings
Eco-restoration
Eco-restoration is the process of re-establishing functioning
ecological systems, then managing them to protect their
integrity. The Noisette project works to create a model
for eco-restoration in urban, industrial and mixed-use
areas.
Restoration will be completed in two phases. The first
is remediation – removing exotic plant species from
wild areas, replanting native grasslands, and reforestation.
This three-to-five year process will also address development
of features like bioswales, landscaped roadway medians, and
neighborhood projects like backyard rain gardens to help
filter and control runoff naturally.
The second phase is maintenance. This ongoing effort focuses
on landscape management, noxious weed management, silt removal,
and supplemental plantings. It also includes monitoring to
guide future refinements in restoration.
Dominant features in this remediation plan include creation
of the Noisette Preserve, an expansive wild area encompassing
the length and breadth of the Noisette Creek waterway. Other
aspects of the plan include developing conservation easements
for public lands, covenants to promote conservation on private
properties, drainage easements to protect delicate ecological
balances, and creation of the Michaux Conservancy & Land
Trust – a non-profit foundation to oversee conservation
and protect wild areas against future development. |
