Project 1:

Atlantic & Burlington County Sites

256 - Dune Island #4

Dune Island #4 site is part of a complex of irregular areas of plant growth on the topographic high points from a 1940 sediment discharge from dredging Beach Thorofare.  Sampling found that these higher areas were fine white sand with a thickness of less than 5 feet over the original marsh.  The plant cover was mostly Phragmities and Iva frutescens (Salt Marsh Bush Elder) plus a few scattered red cedars.  There was no attempt to confine the spread of dredge material discharged onto the marshes in 1940, so the area has developed into a complex array of islands and marsh areas actively supporting a large variety of shorebirds.  Nesting gull species, snowy egrets, black back skimmers were among the most commonly seen.  This is a legacy site with extensive habitat available for the birds, terrapin turtles and other small mammals, therefore these areas should remain undisturbed.   The four Dune Island sites immediately south of the larger Pork Island South complex represent the southernmost area of this side-cast channel straightening project deposit from 1938 – 1940.