$8 million grant to fund restoration of marsh, oyster habitat along James River

ISLE OF WIGHT Co., Va. - Millions of federal grant dollars will help fund a project to restore marshland along the James River.

Last week, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) learned it would receive an $8 million grant designated for Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Projects.

The agency says the money from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would fund work at the Ragged Island Wildlife Management Area near Carrollton.

The 1,500-acre marshland is home to numerous wildlife and is critical to the ecosystem in that area of the James River. However, DWR says research shows the marshes are quickly eroding.

According to a release, the DWR Ragged Island Oyster Restoration and Shoreline Protection Project, scheduled to begin this fall, will include the construction of 56 low breakwaters to support oyster reef habitat and living shoreline plantings. It's expected to create more than 2.5 acres of new marsh and two acres of new oyster habitat.

The DWR goes on to say the project will also support fish breeding areas and lead to better water quality, while also reducing future erosion.

Organization Ducks Unlimited and Christopher Newport University in Newport News are expected to aid in the effort, which is scheduled for completion in late 2025.