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 58 courtesy of T&M Associates "Living Shoreline" Glossary of Terms Armor mat – an engineered fil- tration fabric that forms a bound- ary layer on the soil surface. They are designed to protect, grow and permanently reinforce natural vegetation. Breakwater - a barrier built out into a body of water to protect a coast or harbor from the force of waves. Bulkhead – a retaining wall along a waterfront. Marsh sills – structures that run parallel to the coast, combining engineered structures with natural vegetation. They have two critical elements: an offshore, low relief mound (the sill) and an inter- tidal area between the sill and the upland (the shore) contain- ing marsh vegetation. Revetment - A facing of stone, etc., built to protect a shore structure against erosion by wave action or currents. Sheeting - A pile with a generally slender, flat cross section to be driven into the ground or sea- bed and meshed or interlocked with like members to form a diaphragm, wall, or bulkhead. Spat-on-shells – Oyster larvae attached to shells. As generation after generation of spat grow into adult oysters, they form dense clusters of oyster reefs or beds. Wave screen - fixed structures that reduce or reflect wave ener- gy and protect the shoreline from erosion. measure, the two large gaps were closed with additional stone. Last year, the project won an ACEC Engineering Excellence Award in the Water Resources Category. This year, another living shoreline project by T&M, the restoration and stabilization of Iowa Court and South Green Street in Little Egg Harbor and Tuckerton, also won an ACEC Engineering Excellence Award. That project included: installation of a marsh sill; internal sheeting with notches to allow water inundation twice a day; spat-on shells for future oyster habitat; restoration and plant- ing of nearly one acre of marsh; beach replenishment; and installa- tion of an offshore stone breakwater. According to T&M, "Using a tradi- tional bulkhead for [this project] would not prevent flooding and could increase the risk of scouring or shift risk to adjacent properties." The living shoreline solution proved to not only be more eco-friendly, but also more economical. "Living shorelines are excellent solutions for the long-term sustainability of our marsh edges, shorelines, and eroding ecosystems," comments Kristopher Kryston, T&M regional environ- mental practice leader. "They pro- vide resiliency for increasing storm events, while also offering habitat re-creation and enhancement. T&M is proud to be involved in living shoreline projects from an engineer- ing and scientific perspective." Residential Projects Despite the success of municipal projects, unfortunately, it isn't cur- rently a solution that's easily accessi- ble to many individual homeowners of shoreline property. As Permit 24 now stands, all living shorelines must be designed and/or sponsored by the DEP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or Federal resource agen- cies; or must be for research purpos- es. But Cobb hopes that will change in the future. "We're seeing issues with the permit. We're potentially looking at private property… [to] revisit the engineering guidelines and make them more user-friendly," says Cobb. Even the NJDEP's Living Shorelines Engineering Guidelines, written by the Stevens Institute of Technology, states: "The objective is to reduce the number of under-engineered or improperly designed structures, while at the same time recognizing that some living shorelines projects may not need the same level of detailed engineering analysis as traditional approaches…. The nature of these projects is such that diversity and innovation should be encouraged rather than discouraged." While living shorelines are big news for those who support or work in coastal habitats, for many the concept is still unknown. "Certainly, some are screaming from the roof- tops…" Cobb says of advocates, but admits, "typical homeowners aren't all that familiar." And unfortunately, when a home- owner needs coastline stabilization, "contractors know bulkheads, they may not know living shorelines." Even finding an engineering firm may prove challenging. Unlike T&M, "there aren't many engineer- ing firms that are taking this on," says Cobb. As a result, education, outreach, and volunteer opportuni- ties are especially important to the future of living shorelines. Yet despite the challenges and dire predictions of future threats to our coastal ecosystems, it's exciting to know we have found better solu- tions to meet them. "It is an exciting time," comments Cobb, "But sadly, it's also time to face the music. We need to become more resilient. There are so many threats to our coastlines. Living shorelines are an important component of that." She adds, "I'm loving being a part of this… seeing what is to come." u For more information: www.state.nj.us/dep/opi/living-shorelines. html www.coastalresilience.org/nj-living-shore line-grants www.littoralsociety.org/living-shorelines.html www.cleanoceanaction.org/fileadmin/ editor_group2/Water_Quality/Living_ Shorelines_ ALS.pdf The restoration at John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island. JERSEY SHORE ENVIRONMENT RETHINKING BULKHEADS, continued from page 57

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