Baseline information on flora is critical for planning salt marsh restoration in New Haven, Connecticut's West River Memorial Park. This information will be important for evaluating existing site conditions and success or failure of the restoration. This chapter presents results of a plant inventory and addresses the ecological considerations necessary to return salt marsh plants to the site. Aerial photographic interpretation and ground reconnaissance indicate that the potential restoration area is dominated by plant species common to coastal marshlands that have been cut off from tidal exchange for a number of years (Figure 1). The salt marsh community has been replaced by a community dominated by common reed (Phragmites australis) with mixes of woody vegetation, cattail (Typha latifolia), and a variety of herbaceous dicots such as goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and smartweed (Polygonum spp.). Restoration at this site is complicated by the presence of fill that was placed on the marsh surface during the 1920s. The fill has raised surface elevations and allowed trees to grow over some areas of the former tidal salt marsh surface. Restoration efforts, therefore, will require a combination of techniques, including the reintroduction of tidal exchange, the removal of fill, and regrading of the surface. Based on similar sites throughout Connecticut, the restoration effort will require ten to twenty years for completion. Periodic ground surveillance and interpretation of future aerial photographs will be required to monitor the success of the restoration.