Connecticut Projects

Hammonasset Beach State Park Coastal Restoration in Madison

Our Goals
Restoring the park's eastern shoreline, barrier beach, and salt marsh for birds and the community.
What We’re Doing
Completing designs for restoration and accepting public comments on the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
"Salt Marsh Days" Return for 2026!
"Salt Marsh Days" Return for 2026!

Next Event: Saturday, July 18! "Diamondback Terrapin Day" highlights the unique story of the Diamondback Terrapin, Connecticut’s only native brackish-water turtle. Found in the state's coastal salt marshes and estuaries, terrapins face threats from habitat loss, nest predation, road mortality, and climate-related changes to their marsh habitat. Come learn about ongoing conservation and restoration efforts that help protect Diamondback Terrapins and the coastal ecosystems they call home.

Now Accepting Public Comments

We are currently completing designs for a living shoreline and culvert replacement that will protect park marshes and provide habitat for birds. Please fill out this form if you have comments or questions about the project: 

Located in Madison, Connecticut, this 936-acre state park boasts a diverse, high-quality coastal ecosystem that provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, and hosts more than 3 million visitors annually.

Climate change impacts, such as coastal flooding and sea level rise, have led to rapid erosion of the park’s eastern shoreline, barrier beach, and salt marsh. In the last two decades, yearly erosion rates have nearly doubled, contributing to the loss of 27 acres of salt marsh since 1934.

Learn more about the project! Watch our virtual presentation.

Funding provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Study National Estuary Program, courtesy of a grant awarded to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the NOAA Restoration Center.

Birds That Benefit From Restoration
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Ammospiza caudacuta
New World Sparrows
Piping Plover
Charadrius melodus
Plovers
Clapper Rail
Rallus crepitans
Rails, Gallinules, Coots

Scroll Through the Salt Marsh!

Visit Hammonasset virtually in this StoryMap: Learn about its history and how we can protect its future.
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Whether we're planning events, planting, or bringing in machines to do heavy lifting, we'll keep you updated.