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| 3. The
Storm Surge Line indicates the highest known level of flooding as of the
Spring of 1996. It was first laid down by the artist while we were completing
the reshaping of the new uplands wet meadow valley. This line also gives
us an idea of "zonation", the degree of salt in the various levels of the
marsh basin. Above this line, no plants are inundated with salt water, although
they get plenty of salt spray. The deposits of seaweed are an indication
of the power of individual storm surges. As global warming continues, it
may also be a way to measure how progressive seasons bring the seaweed closer
to the line of rock. One way to monitor the health of the marsh is to examine
what species of plants in what proportion and distribution are living in
each zone. The summer of 1998, Liam Cohen fitted in more granite sections
to make it easier to see the line as vegetation grows up around it.
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