Presented by: 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Office of Natural Resource Restoration is engaged in an ambitious project to restore tidal marsh and upland habitat to a large portion of the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, located within a key migratory bird concentration area impacted by historical industrial activity. The project will create a rich mosaic of habitats including 200+ acres of restored tidal marsh, flanked by large expanses of protected freshwater emergent marshes and restored maritime forests on coastal dunes along the Delaware Bay. Public access to the project area will be enhanced with trails through the interior of the marsh and multiple viewing structures/types.

WSP USA Inc. was contracted to complete baseline studies (habitat mapping, wetland delineations, salinity screenings, reference marsh assessment, topographic and bathymetric surveys, hydrologic, hydraulic, and hydrodynamic modeling, cultural resource assessments, T&E assessments, site characterization, geotechnical analysis, and structural analysis), conceptual design selection, final site design and bid package development, regulatory permitting, and construction management/administration. While incorporating stakeholder input, WSP developed a marsh restoration plan that will improve the hydraulic capacity of a tidal creek and provide protection from flooding and saltwater intrusion into adjacent freshwater emergent marshes through the installation of a berm with water control structures. The Higbee Beach Restoration Project commenced construction in February 2024. This presentation will examine how the project will restore multiple interconnected habitats while improving community resilience to flooding from coastal storms.

SPEAKER BIO: 

Kyle is a Senior Environmental Engineer at WSP, within their Water Resources group, where he focuses on dam removal, stream restoration design, and construction oversight. With over 1 year of experience at WSP and over 7 years of experience as an Environmental Engineer, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his projects.

Kyle specializes in hazardous waste operation remediation, as well as stream and marshland restoration. He has contributed to significant projects such as the Higbee Beach Restoration Design in Cape May, NJ, the MARSHES restoration in Staten Island, NY, and sedimentation and dredging plans for Lake Assunpink WMA in NJ. Additionally, he has played a key role in the design advancement of the Warren Mill Dam removal along the Musconetcong River in NJ.

Kyle holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering with a focus on Environmental Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), which underscores his commitment to maintaining high standards in his field.

Outside of work, Kyle enjoys cycling and nature walks, which reflect his passion for the environment. He can be reached at kyle.nelson@wsp.com or via LinkedIn.

Engineers:

This seminar does qualify for 1.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH). A Certificate of Attendance will be available for AWRA-PMAS members only. The meeting price for non-members who wish to receive a Certificate of Attendance for the PDH is $10.00 ($3.00 for meeting + $7.00 for certificate).  

Please note: 

• Presentation Zoom link will be provided in registration reminder email.
• Zoom link should only be used by those who register for the event through AWRA directly. 
• PDHs will be issued through PDFs.
• Please allow extra time to register through Zoom and get software set up.
• Presentation will start at noon.
• Early participants will be in a Waiting Room until noon. 
• Participants must email AWRA.PMAS@gmail.com to request PDH Certificate after the event.

Thank you!