Virginia installed 46 water control structures along 150 miles of former drainage ditches to rewet a swamp; The restored peat now traps 200,000 metric tons of carbon a year.

North Carolina’s coastal peatlands are being restored to protect wetlands, reduce wildfire risks, and keep carbon stored in the soil. The work focuses on returning water to areas that were once drained and modified for agriculture, timber harvesting and other uses.Peatlands are wetlands whose soils contain large amounts of partially decomposed organic matter. They cover only about 3% of the Earth’s surface, but store more than twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests, according to The Nature Conservancy. When peat remains wet, it can retain carbon in the soil. But when it dries, it becomes highly flammable and can release large amounts of carbon dioxide when burned.This makes water management a key part of conservation on the North Carolina coast. Nature-based solutions can improve wildlife habitat while helping nearby communities through improved water quality, recreation, and reduced risks of flooding and other climate-related threats.A major focus is the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula. The refuge is one of nine national wildlife refuges in the area, which supports fishing and tourism, but faces threats from rising sea levels, storms, flooding and wildfires. With funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners have restored 37,000 acres of peatlands in Pocosin Lakes.

Restoring water

In the Pocosin lakes, large areas were once crossed by drainage ditches. Centuries of ditching and drainage of peat bogs severely degraded, while previous land clearing and drainage also affected the refuge.When peat is kept moist, it is less likely to cause intense ground fires. “Restoration focuses on rewetting the peat, stopping artificial drainage, and restoring or mimicking the natural movement of water through the refuge,” Wendy Stanton, manager of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, told Eastern North Carolina Public Radio. He said the restored area now covers more than 37,000 acres.The need for this work became clear during the large forest fires. In 2008, lightning caused a fire in the Pocosin Lakes that burned for three months and destroyed more than 40,000 acres of peat. Meanwhile, the Allen Road fire in 1985 burned about 100,000 acres, destroyed 26 homes and burned up to three feet deep in peat. The fire burned for eight weeks, while an estimated 1 million to 3.8 million metric tons of carbon were released into the air, The Coastal Review reported.

Volunteers collect native seeds from tallgrass prairies at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa.

Water control structures.

Conservation teams are using water control structures to change the way water moves through these drained landscapes. In Pocosin lakes, structures can retain water in drainage systems, helping to restore wetter conditions in the peat. The Nature Conservancy says its teams monitor water levels and adjust structures to better mimic the natural hydrology of an intact peat bog.A similar approach is being used at Angola Bay Game Land. The Nature Conservancy and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are working on a restoration design for 7,500 acres of abandoned pocosin. Water control infrastructure began being installed in 2023, and the project also includes plans to restore habitat using wetland species such as Atlantic white cedar, bald cypress, pond cypress, and buttonbush.The structures can also be adjusted according to the conditions of each site. Eric Soderholm, coastal wetlands restoration leader for The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina, says the approach allows teams to change the effective drainage height by adjusting boards on the structures. Teams then monitor the results to determine if the water remains too high or too low.This monitoring is important because the objective is not simply to flood the land. Restoration teams want to create seasonal humidity levels similar to what would have existed naturally.

Carbon storage

Keeping peat wet also has implications for climate change. Restored peat wetlands in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge sequester about 200,000 metric tons of carbon each year. That amount is equivalent to the annual emissions of 42,000 vehicles, according to a study by the United States Geological Survey and the Fish and Wildlife Service.Restoring 10 acres of Pocasin peatlands is estimated to be comparable to eliminating emissions from 5.3 passenger vehicles per year, while draining 10 acres may have the opposite effect.The restoration program also involves local communities and landowners because changes in water management can affect farms and other livelihoods. Pocosin Lakes has held meetings with surrounding communities to explain its work and listen to concerns. Refuge officials have also worked with farmers on drainage issues.The challenge becomes more urgent as the coastal plain faces rising sea levels and climate change. The Pocosin Lakes Water Management Plan notes that the ability of these wetlands to adapt to sea level rise may be limited if sea level rise becomes faster than the rate at which peat accumulates.