Reimagining Halsey Creek: Nature-Based Strategies for Urban Resilience in Charleston

About the Community  

Charleston is a coastal city shaped by water—both as a historic force and a present-day challenge. The historic city’s three remaining tidal creeks—Halsey, Newmarket, and Gadsden—are among the last undeveloped salt marsh ecosystems on the peninsula. Long marginalized in planning decisions, these creeks have become focal points for community-led environmental justice efforts, particularly as flooding worsens and development pressures intensify.

The M.A.R.S.H. Project (the Marsh Appreciation and Restoration Society for Happiness) began as a neighborhood-based initiative focused on stewardship, education, and restoring connections between residents and the local marshland. Over time, it has evolved into a collaborative effort with the City of Charleston, civic organizations, and academic institutions. A recent shift in city leadership, including the appointment of sustainability and resilience directors committed to ecological equity, has opened a window of opportunity to institutionalize this work.

With deep ties to cultural memory and public access, Halsey Creek offers a tangible starting point for restoring Charleston’s relationship to its landscape. Through this project, residents, scientists, and policymakers aim to set a precedent for just, replicable, and climate-resilient urban conservation.

Sobre el proyecto  

Challenges

Charleston is experiencing the converging pressures of urban growth, sea level rise, and legacy infrastructure—all of which threaten the health of the city’s remaining tidal creek systems. Halsey Creek, once a vibrant salt marsh ecosystem, is now burdened by an undersized culvert, channelized flow, and upland runoff that increases flooding risk and degrades water quality. While city leaders have expressed interest in nature-based solutions, bureaucratic hurdles and limited technical capacity have slowed progress toward implementation.  While policy engagement and community outreach are part of the broader initiative, this phase of the project focuses specifically on generating data and a local plan that can underpin future city-supported actions.

At the same time, the community is navigating complex political dynamics, with strong public support for preserving the city’s remaining creeks, yet conflicting development pressures and fragmented stakeholder alignment. Building trust across agencies, scientists, and residents remains critical to long-term success. The M.A.R.S.H. Project has succeeded in galvanizing grassroots action through cleanups and outreach, but now requires scientific guidance, data infrastructure, and detailed design support to elevate Halsey Creek as a replicable model for urban ecological resilience.

Project Goals

The Just Eco-Corridor project aims to translate grassroots momentum into city-backed ecological restoration and long-term resilience planning. Immediate and near-term goals include:

1. Support advocacy efforts by providing scientific data and conceptual materials that inform a potential City Council resolution affirming the “Just” Eco-Corridor vision. 
2. Develop a mini-watershed plan for Halsey Creek, using hydrologic and elevation data to assess stormwater flow, tidal influence, and restoration opportunities.
3. Design and visualize pilot nature-based interventions for Halsey Creek, such as culvert retrofits, marsh replanting, rain gardens, and green infrastructure nodes.
4. Install and maintain open-source water monitoring equipment to track water height, tidal dynamics, and stormwater behavior, with opportunities for student and community engagement.
5. Build a model for replication that can guide future restoration and access improvements for Newmarket and Gadsden Creeks—downtown Charleston’s other remaining tidal corridors.
6. Channel public support into tangible environmental impacts, using the scientific data collected from the Halsey, Gadsden, and Newmarket creeks to display their importance and support the implementation of the “Just” Corridor initiative.

Outcomes Expected

This project will lay the groundwork for long-term ecological restoration and equitable environmental policy in Charleston by delivering the following outcomes:

• Scientific deliverables that can inform and support potential policy outcomes, such as a City Council resolution recognizing the “Just” Eco-Corridor framework, , establishing a formal commitment to nature-based, community-led restoration.
• Mini-Watershed Plan for Halsey Creek, including hydrology data, ecological assessment, and recommended interventions to reduce flooding, restore habitat, and improve water quality.
• Detailed Conceptual Designs for pilot projects (e.g., culvert upgrades, native plant buffers, marsh restoration zones), ready for use in grant applications and implementation planning.
• Open-Source Monitoring Network to track water levels and stormwater behavior, co-managed by community members, students, and scientific partners.
• Replicable Restoration Model for Charleston’s other tidal creeks, providing a tested framework for integrating ecological, cultural, and climate resilience priorities citywide.

Calendario e hitos 

This project will unfold over a 6–12 month period with a focus on building scientific foundations, securing municipal support, and co-developing restoration concepts for Halsey Creek as a model for Charleston’s “Just” Eco-Corridor.

Summer 2025

• Develop technical content and restoration concepts that can be used by partners to advocate for City Council recognition of the “Just” Eco-Corridor.
• Begin baseline hydrology data collection using water level transducers and manual monitoring
• Engage community members and students in site walks and creek history programming

Fall 2025

• Analyze hydrologic and flood data to inform restoration priorities
• Collaborate with scientific partners on pilot project concepts (e.g., culvert redesign, habitat buffers)
• Host community charrettes to refine project goals and gather input on draft designs

Winter 2025–Spring 2026

• Deliver detailed renderings and a mini-watershed plan for Halsey Creek
• Present resolution and supporting materials to City Council for adoption
• Develop an implementation roadmap for phase one interventions and future creek projects

This timeline is flexible and community-driven, with room for iteration based on local engagement, city feedback, and data availability.

Líderes comunitarios

Dr. Blake C. Scott, Professor of International Studies and Environmental History, College of Charleston Blake brings a historical and place-based lens to environmental change in Charleston, helping bridge academic research, public engagement, and municipal policy. As faculty advisor to the M.A.R.S.H. Project, he supports efforts to connect community restoration work with broader civic and ecological narratives.

Rhiannon Wilkinson, Volunteer Coordinator, The M.A.R.S.H. Project Rhiannon is a grassroots environmental organizer and educator leading efforts to restore Charleston’s urban tidal ecosystems through stewardship, community science, and youth engagement. She coordinates local outreach, project planning, and partnerships with city officials and nonprofit allies.

Becario científico comunitario

Patrick Marchman, AICP, CEP, SCR Patrick is a certified planner and climate resilience advisor with over 15 years of experience in hazard mitigation, nature-based solutions, and community-led adaptation. As Community Science Fellow, he supports the M.A.R.S.H. Project team in coordinating scientific collaboration, aligning technical approaches with community priorities, and translating project findings into actionable plans and policy tools.

The M.A.R.S.H. Project is seeking scientific collaborators who can help generate actionable data, inform restoration planning, and co-develop open-access tools that support long-term ecological and community outcomes. Specific expertise sought includes:

• Hydrology and Watershed Science: A hydrologist or environmental scientist with experience in urban tidal systems, stormwater runoff modeling, and water level monitoring. Support is needed to assess culvert function, tidal flow, and flooding dynamics at Halsey Creek.
• Nature-Based Solutions & Floodplain Restoration: A Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) or ecological engineer with knowledge of green infrastructure, salt marsh restoration, and habitat connectivity.
• Data Visualization & Open-Source Tools: Expertise in designing accessible platforms for community science, including data dashboards or mapping tools to support education and advocacy.
• Optional: Design professionals (e.g., landscape architects or urban planners) who can assist with rendering restoration concepts and pilot project visualizations.

These partners will support the creation of a mini-watershed plan and contribute to technical documentation that can guide future City Council engagement and project implementation.

Scientists from a range of career stages, including graduate students with relevant expertise and faculty advisors, are welcome to express interest. While local or regional proximity is a plus, remote collaboration is acceptable. At least one site visit to Charleston is strongly preferred to ground the work in local context and support relationship-building, but ongoing in-person participation is not required. Enthusiasm for collaborative, community-rooted science is essential.

Thriving Earth Exchange asks all scientific partners to work with the community to help define a project with concrete local impact to which they can contribute as pro-bono volunteers and collaborators. This work can also position the scientists and communities to seek additional funding, together, for the next stage. Unsure if you’re the right fit for this project? Reach out to us via email at [email protected] to learn more.  

Interested in volunteering as a scientist? Apply now!