The Delaware Estuary Living Shoreline Initiative
Presented by Partnership of the Delaware Estuary
All photos are credited to the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Staff unless otherwise accredited.
What is a living shoreline?
Living shorelines are engineered structures installed to control shoreline erosion while also meeting a variety of ecological goals. Through the thoughtful and innovative placement of materials, living shorelines can maintain the connectivity between land and water habitats while intercepting wave energy, reducing sediment and salt marsh loss, and providing habitat for a variety of fish, birds, mammals, and shellfish. Retaining connectivity and supporting ecological function are key qualities that differentiate living shorelines from other shoreline protection techniques such as bulkheads and sea walls.
Advance through the slideshow below by clicking the arrow on the right of the screen to view examples of materials often used in the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary's (PDE) living shorelines.
Watch the videos below to learn more about living shorelines and how they are installed.
An overview of the benefits and a description of the installation process of a low-energy bio-based living shoreline (PDE and Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, 2009).
An Introduction to Living Shorelines by Restore America’s Estuaries, 2015.
Swipe the slider below to compare the before and after photos of the Lewes, DE living shoreline project!
Lewes, DE living shoreline in 2014 (left) and 2021 (right).
Why are we involved?
The Delaware Estuary
PDE serves as the host of the Delaware Estuary Program , and works with partners from the public, private, and academic sectors to utilize science-based and collaborative efforts to restore the health of the tidal Delaware River and Bay (the Delaware Estuary). The Delaware Estuary spans from Trenton, NJ and Morrisville PA, to Lewes, DE and Cape May, NJ, and includes major cities such as Philadelphia, Camden, Chester and Wilmington. The estuary relies on clean water from streams throughout the watershed, including those from the Delaware, Schuylkill, and Brandywine river valleys, and along the bay shores of Delaware and New Jersey.
Our Plan
The Delaware Estuary Program's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) aims to make watershed improvements to benefit millions of people who live, work, and play in the tri-state region (PA, NJ, DE). Living shorelines help us to deliver on our clean water and healthy habitat goals by enhancing water quality and ecological uplift in the estuary which, in turn, helps strengthen communities.
History of PDE's Living Shorelines
In 2008, PDE and Rutgers University developed the Delaware Estuary Living Shoreline Initiative (DELSI) to help stabilize eroding shorelines using a combination of plants, natural structures, and intertidal shellfish to trap sediment, absorb wave energy and provide water filtration. Since then, we have worked with a variety of public, private, and academic partners to install living shorelines across the estuary to meet a variety of site-specific goals. Continue scrolling to read more about these projects!
When are they appropriate?
All living shorelines are intended to help nature thrive. Living shorelines can be appropriate at any location where shoreline stabilization is sought. More or less structural components may be necessary depending on the depending on the wind or wave energy of the area. As long as each component can support life and facilitate ecological connectivity, the installation can function as a living shoreline. PDE has worked with multiple partners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to develop goals appropriate for living shorelines. The slideshow below describes some ecological goals with examples of how they can be supported by living shorelines.
Advance through the slideshow, below by clicking the arrow on the right of the screen.
Where are PDE's installations?
PDE's Living Shoreline Projects
For each living shoreline project summarized in the scrolling map below, the project status is indicated by the following symbols:
Map legend
The following living shorelines are projects PDE has either led or materially participated in though design, monitoring, construction, and/or analysis. In addition to a variety of information on each living shoreline, most projects also have "area built" and "net gain" information. Area built is the vegetated area gained between the pre-existing marsh edge and the installed materials. Net gain is the area built, plus the area not lost due to erosion along the length of the living shoreline, as measured at an area adjacent to the living shoreline. Because erosion can occur every year, the net gain can continue to rise annually as the losses avoided increase.
Some living shorelines are only meant to provide habitat and not curb erosion. Where that is true, a note has been added to the summary explaining why these measurements are missing. In total, the following 1,630 feet of living shorelines led to an increase of 7,775 square feet of wetlands, for an overall net gain of 34,688 square feet of vital wetland habitat.
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How can I learn more?
Do you currently have shoreline hardened with a deteriorating seawall or riprap at the water's edge of your property that is shifting and collapsing? Are you seeing your marsh edge turning into mudflat? Is flooding threatening your waterfront property more frequently? If you are experiencing erosion or habitat loss along your waterway, then a living shoreline may be the solution. We have provided valuable resources below or you can contact us directly for more information.
Contacts
- Joshua Moody at jmoody@delawareestuary.org
- Sarah Bouboulis at sbouboulis@delawareestuary.org
Resources:
Overview of Living Shorelines
Site Assessment
Setting Goals & Monitoring Guidance for Living Shoreline Projects
