Site of the proposed development in St. Lawrence Gap

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By Robin Mahon

Following the publication of the proposed development at Chapman Swamp between the St Lawrence Gap and Highway 7, colleagues Prof Sean Carrington, Carla Daniels and I visited the area. We walked all the way around it going in at several places. As the photos show this swamp is a very attractive wetland comprising four and a half acres. It does not have as much dumped garbage as we had expected, and cleanup is feasible. The major impact has been encroachment along the edges by land owners seeking to enlarge their lots, especially for parking in the Gap. Consequently, the edges are steeper and more well defined than would be usual for a wetland and as it almost certainly was in its original state. This means that shallow habitat for fiddler crabs has been lost. The Swamp is surrounded by many mature trees (almond, manchineel, ficus, palms, etc.). The middle of the wetland is predominantly sedges and reeds with a mosaic of areas of open water, some covered with duckweed. There is a pretty island of palms in the middle about halfway down.

The connection with the sea is a concrete channel at the eastern end that ends in two pipes under the road and empties into the bay. There is evidence that a sluice gate was once there. The pipes are currently blocked with sargassum and sand, so there was no visible outflow or exchange. If this connection were to be opened, some inflow of seawater could be expected, especially in the dry season. This may result in changes to the vegetation as salt intolerant species close to the seaward end of the Swamp may die. It would also allow influx of marine animals. A resident in the area recalled that as a boy he and friends would catch mullet, tarpon, tilapia and other fish from what was then a much larger swamp. He hoped that it could be rehabilitated and kept as a nature area. There were signs that others had enjoyed the natural beauty of the swamp as there are the remnants of a mini-park at the western end. With the restoration of the swamp crayfish and crabs would also likely repopulate.

Interestingly, we did not find the mosquitoes to be bad, and it was early morning. There were also no signs of mosquito larvae in the water at the time of our visit. We saw numerous fish (looked like mollies and guppies) at the eastern end and there are probably more throughout, helping to keep the mosquitoes down. Complaints of mosquitoes may be misallocated to the Swamp itself. Around the periphery in backyards and parking areas we saw junk stored that could very well be where the mosquitoes are coming from.

There seem to be two input channels to the Swamp both coming in under Highway 7. One is about midway along the Swamp and the other is at the eastern end. Both would be bringing runoff from the residential area north of the road, and probably also the wetlands east of Graeme Hall Swamp. Our resident information was of the view that the catchment for the Chapman Swamp extended far inland.

The impacts in the sea of dredging this Swamp and creating a lagoon with boat access from the sea are also likely to be substantial. The bay will have to be dredged as well to provide access, with implications for coastal circulation, reefs and beaches in the area.

It is easy to say that all this will be addressed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). But we all know that by the time an EIA is done there is seldom any turning back and the EIA ends up being used for mitigation. Often this mitigation comes a day late and a dollar short. Once a project is that far advanced, we may also see the conclusions of a negative EIA being overruled by the relevant Minister. If we had environmental legislation, which has been in draft for over 30 years, Chapman Swamp would not even be considered for the type of development proposed. Make no mistake, dredging this swamp, even if the surrounding trees are retained, will destroy its ecosystem functionality. We have our leaders complaining about climate change impacts on the world stage and yet at home we are contemplating the destruction of a wetland where reeds, sedges and other vegetation are sequestering carbon. Yes, it is small, but everything here in Barbados is small, and we need to get serious about ensuring that the many small bits of wetland, woodland, dune land and other habitats are kept and
managed for the social and economic benefits of all.

Robin Mahon is Professor Emeritus, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.