Open Marsh Water Management: a Review of System Designs and Installation Guidelines for Mosquito Control and Integration in Wetland Habitat Management

Open marsh water management (OMWM) is a method of saltmarsh mosquito control that advocates long-term water management through the use of selective channel and pond creation as opposed to indiscriminate ditching and drainage or temporary chemical insecticide control. This technique has been used for over 40 years in certain areas of the eastern United States and similar techniques have been utilized in other parts of the world. The use of OMWM has been extensively studied for target and non-target impacts and has been shown to provide excellent control of mosquitoes and to have neutral to beneficial impacts on selected marsh resources with a concomitant reduction or elimination of chemical insecticide use. Guidelines and procedures for several states have been developed and provide a useful template for agencies developing a course of action for mosquito control. This paper is a culmination of previously published guidelines, studies and reviews which can be used by a new generation of mosquito control practitioners, land managers, and regulators to better understand what OMWM is and is not, how it can be utilized, and how it can be integrated into a more holistic integrated marsh management (IMM) program. In addition to this paper, a PowerPoint presentation is available with photos, figures and text.