Living Shorelines in the Southeast: Research and Data Gaps
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Living Shorelines in the Southeast: Research and Data Gaps Prepared for the Governors South Atlantic Alliance Margaret Myszewski and Merryl Alber Georgia Coastal Research Council August 2016 Suggested Citation: Myszewski, Margaret A. and Merryl Alber, 2016. Living Shorelines in the Southeast: Research and data gaps. Report prepared for the Governor's South Atlantic Alliance by the Georgia Coastal Research Council, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 35 pp. Photos clockwise from left: Carteret Community College, N.C.; http://www.coastalreview.org/2015/07/report-cites-benefits-of-living- shorelines Oak Point, Wadmalaw Island, S.C; The Nature Conservancy; http://projects.tnc.org/coastal/ Canaveral National Seashore, FL; http://patimes.org/sustainable-coastal-restoration-stabilization-living-shoreline- project-floridas-east-coast/ The Little St. Simons Island, GA; http://marex.uga.edu/living-shorelines/?hc_location=ufi About the Georgia Coastal Research Council: The Georgia Coastal Research Council (GCRC) was established to provide mechanisms for improved scientific exchange between coastal scientists and decision makers, and to promote the incorporation of best-available scientific information into State and local resource management. The Council is not a policy organization, but rather seeks to provide unbiased, objective information about scientific issues. Baseline support for the program is shared by the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (through the Coastal Management Program) and Georgia Sea Grant, with project-specific support from the National Science Foundation and other agencies. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or see our website at: http://www.gcrc.uga.edu. This publication was supported in part by an Institutional Grant (NA14OAR4170084) to the Georgia Sea Grant College Program from the National Sea Grant Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce as well as a grant award (#NA13NO54190114) to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources from the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All views, opinions, statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of DNR, OCRM, the Georgia Sea Grant College Program, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. i Table of Contents Introduction . 1 Part One: Living Shoreline Approaches in the Southeast . 4 Vegetation Only . 4 Edging . 6 Sills and Breakwaters . 7 Marsh Bulkheads . 8 Part Two: Physical Effects of Living Shorelines in Salt Marshes . 8 Habitat Distribution . 8 Erosion Control . 9 Part Three: Biological Effects of Living Shorelines in Salt Marshes . 12 Vegetation . 12 Organisms . 13 Part Four: Chemical Effects of Living Shorelines in Salt Marshes . 14 Particle Removal . 15 Nitrogen Removal . 15 Part Five: Living Shorelines in Mangroves . 16 Physical Effects . 17 Biological Effects . 19 Chemical Effects . 20 Part Six: Conclusions and Data Gaps . 21 References Cited. 24 Appendix A: Compendium of Living Shoreline Projects in the Southeast . 34 Appendix B: Annotated Bibliography . 67 ii Introduction The edge of the shore is a dynamic area that is constantly gaining and losing land due to the forces of waves, wind, and tides. Natural events (e.g., storms and longshore transport) and human activities (e.g., the presence of coastal structures and boat traffic) influence the rate of coastal erosion, as do Living Shorelines the effects of rising sea level. Sea level rise changes the location of the shoreline, moving it landward and exposing “Living shoreline” is a broad term that new areas to erosion. The coast is also experiencing encompasses a range of shoreline development pressure from the increasing number of people stabilization techniques along estuarine coasts, bays, sheltered living on and moving to coastal areas. From 2000 to 2010, coastlines, and tributaries. A living most of the coastal counties in the Southeast experienced shoreline has a footprint that is made growth at or above 10 percent, and this is expected to up mostly of native material. It continue (Mackun and Wilson 2011). As populations increase, incorporates vegetation or other demands for housing, commercial development, and living, natural ‘soft’ elements alone or associated infrastructure also increase. in combination with some type of harder shoreline structure (e.g., The traditional approach to protecting coastal infrastructure oyster reefs or rock sills) for added and shorelines from erosion has been the installation of stability. Living shorelines maintain engineered barrier structures such as bulkheads, seawalls, continuity of the natural land-water revetments, groins, and breakwaters, referred to collectively interface and reduce erosion while as hard armoring. These hard barriers between the land and providing habitat value and water are designed to protect the coastline and associated enhancing coastal resilience” (NOAA structures from wave energy. However, hard armoring can 2015). have environmental drawbacks such as reducing sediment sources along the shore, starving nearshore beaches, and preventing the landward progression of fringing beaches, marshes, and mudflats. On an eroding shoreline, hard structures tend to increase wave reflection and cause scouring at the edges of the structure creating further erosion, narrowing the width of the nearshore environment, and increasing the water depth. They can also negatively Living Shoreline at the NOAA Lab, affect water quality in the adjacent subaqueous land, Beaufort, NC eliminate the connections between upland, intertidal, and subtidal areas, and result in losses of ecosystem productivity (Credit Carolyn Currin) (NRC 2007). Source: NOAA 2015 1 Table 1: Common Construction Materials for Living Shorelines Material type Description Function Native grasses planted within the intertidal or mid-intertidal area or at the mean Dissipate wave energy high tide mark. Plantings may be more successful when performed in Spring in Filter upland runoff Marsh grasses areas of existing marsh where there is < 3 miles of open water, and where the Improve habitat for fish prevailing winds will not destroy the newly established vegetation. and wildlife Base of food web Mangroves are woody plant communities that are found in estuarine tropical and Stabilize shoreline subtropical environments including central and southern Florida, and portions of Trap sediments and south Louisiana. nutrients Mangroves Dissipate wave energy Provide habitat for fish and wildlife Vegetation colonized naturally or planted. Common riparian vegetation used at Stabilize the riparian zone specific sites differ depending on the species native to that area, but typically above high tide Tree and grass roots includes a combination of native woody trees, shrubs, and grasses. Minimize bank erosion Filter upland runoff Provide habitat SAV is vegetation rooted in the substrate of a body of water (usually no deeper Dissipate wave energy than 10 feet) that does not characteristically extend above the water surface and Stabilize sediments, Submerged aquatic usually grows in beds. Creates a natural shoreline buffer when used with other Improve water quality vegetation living shoreline components such as marsh grasses, reduces coastal erosion via Provide habitat Green Materials root growth. Base of food web Made of biodegradable coconut fiber and netting. Logs are placed at the foot of Stabilize slopes and Natural fiber logs bank slopes or in the water, molded to fit the bank line, and then anchored in minimize bank erosion (bio-logs) place. Trap and retain sediment Retain moisture A porous layer of geotextile material placed beneath rock sills and breakwaters, or Trap sediments Filter fabric under oyster bags to prevent sand movement into or through the rock, concrete structure, or oyster shell bags. Made of coir fiber, wood, straw, jute, or a combination of organic, biodegradable Prevent sediment loss Natural fiber materials. Trap sediment matting Stabilize shoreline Oyster reefs can be enhanced or created at living shoreline sites as protective Dissipate wave energy Oyster reefs structures. Oyster shell bars use natural shell material (e.g., oyster shell bags, Decrease erosion (natural) oyster encrusted mats), and appear and function similarly to a natural shoreline Provide fish habitat oyster reef when mature. Improve water quality Freestanding rock structures placed in the water parallel to shore. Sills are Dissipate wave energy Low-crested generally segmented and stand no more than 6 to 12 inches above mean high Protect eroding marshes segmented rock sills water so that boats- and wind- induced waves can pass over the sill and wildlife and shorelines has access to the water and the shoreline habitat. Structures constructed from rock, rubble, or recycled concrete that are placed Dissipate wave energy parallel to the shore in medium- to high-energy open-water environments. Can be Provide habitat Breakwaters seeded with oyster spat to create a “living” breakwater where conditions are Stabilize shorelines suitable for oyster growth. Improve water quality Sediment-filled Placed parallel to shore in high-energy environments. The tubes serve as a hard Dissipate wave energy geotextile material surface on which oysters can construct reefs. Provide habitat Gray Materials tubes Oyster Oyster castles or reef balls are