Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 2 0 52 JERSEY SHORE ENVIRONMENT Rethinking Bulkheads "Living Shorelines" Are Proving More Effective and Ecological by Christine Menapace n interesting sea change is taking place regarding how we view coastlines, erosion, and ecology. Whereas manmade bulkheads were once the de facto standard to protect land from water encroachment, many state agencies and engineering firms across the U.S. are now recognizing there may be a better way. It involves a more environmentally sound—and sometimes less expensive—alternative deemed a "living shoreline." Above: Living shoreline stone revetments and offshore breakwaters protect from future erosion at John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park At Berkeley Island. Opposite page: The Sedge Island project on installation day. As was expected, some of the coir logs shown here did not hold up, and current site conditions are still being assessed. Living vs. Hard Shorelines While there are many different definitions of a living shoreline, it generally involves a method of shoreline stabilization using native plants, such as marsh grasses, with either a natural or engineered means of breaking up wave energy, such as oyster beds, rock, stones, concrete, dunes, and more. Rather than create an artificial barrier or wall at the shore's edge, the breakwaters of living shorelines are often wholly or partial- ly sunken offshore and can contain holes for water to stream through. The native plants prevent erosion by holding sediment together with their root systems and also buffer storms by absorbing wave energy, rather than deflecting it as bulkheads do. These native plants also enhance ecosystem functions, improving water quality by trapping pollutants before continued on page 54 A courtesy of T&M Associates

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