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 57 while others haven't. (Areas where bags or logs broke free are telling about wind and wave energy patterns and materials orientation.) She has also been "pleasantly impressed with the durability of the coir bags." Shortly after installation, there was an increase in wading birds using the coir logs as platforms for hunting in the newly created tide pool habitat. As time has passed, native plants and algae have grown and created a refuge for smaller fish such as mum- michogs, sheepshead minnows, and three-spined stickleback. These fish weren't absent, emphasizes Dacanay, but are now attracted to the habitat and observable. As expected, a much greater presence of fish species has been recorded within the pools cre- ated by the living shoreline than out- side of it. "If you create habitat, they will come," asserts Dacanay. John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island When Sandy tore through the twenty-five-acre peninsula of John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island, the beloved location sustained catastrophic damage. The south shore suffered great shoreline loss, which severely eroded the parking lot and washed away part of the entrance road. The wave screen, bulkhead, and armor mat also sustained significant damage. Even prior to the storm, the park had already experienced signif- icant long-term erosion and damage simply due to its bay location. Immediately after Sandy, Ocean County partnered with the NJDEP, the Barnegat Bay Partnership, and Stevens Institute of Technology to collaborate on shoreline stabilization concepts. The engineering firm T&M Associates was brought on board to prepare final design documents, pre- pare and obtain permits, and provide construction support services. Completed in July 2018, the final, collaborative design of the nearly seven-million-dollar reconstruction became one of the first major proj- ects including living shorelines in New Jersey. In addition to spartina planted at the low marsh, stone revetments, offshore stone break- waters, and timber bulkheading were added. Various sized openings were designed to help regulate the tide entering and exiting the area, though some were revisited after a nor'easter hit during construction. Due to the large openings in the original design, it was determined the upland portion of the park and the shoreline was threatened by ero- sion. In an adaptive management continued on page 58 In 2018, the reconstruction of John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island became one of the first major projects to include living shorelines in New Jersey. courtesy of T&M Associates

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