GA Coastal Management Program's Coastal Incentive Grants

• Maintaining or improving the quality of wetlands
• Conservation and restoration of wetland habitats
• Improved understanding of ocean and wetland habitats and functions

Location: Noyes Cut, Camden County

Applicant: Augusta University Research Institute

The goal of this project was to investigate how obsolete navigational channels were affecting estuarine dynamics in the Satilla River. Due to economic changes, a series of eight cuts were made in the estuarine portion of the Satilla River between 1900 and 1939. The most notable, Noyes Cut, was first dug by hand in 1910, and in 1932, enlarged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Noyes Cut’s initial purpose was to aid the timber market in moving trees on barges from pine uplands through the salt marshes/tidal channels to the main channel of the Satilla River. The Alternative Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway cut, completed in 1939, made Noyes Cut obsolete for its original purpose. Changes in water flow and tidal exchange can significantly alter salinity gradients and reduce or eliminate access to freshwater or very low salinity zones which are critical habitat for various life stages of some migrating fish and invertebrate species. On multiple occasions between 1935 and 1961, the local community at Dover Bluff voiced their concerns regarding shoaling and sedimentation in creeks downstream to Noyes Cut, particularly Dover and Umbrella Creeks. These areas were monitored for one year using bottom-up parameters including: water chemistry, water flow, phytoplankton abundance, salt marsh plant diversity, density, and shoot height, sediment microbial diversity and top-down forces including: fish diversity, invertebrate count, population structure of white shrimp and blue crabs, and molecular gut analysis of crustaceans, oyster populations, white shrimp and blue crab microsporidian infection rate.

Location: Coastal Georgia

Applicant: University of Georgia Research Foundation

The goal of this project was to formally assess the importance of Georgia’s recreational blue crab fishery by evaluating 1) landings and effort of recreational crabbers, 2) direct and indirect economic impacts and 3) angler opinion and knowledge of recreational blue crab regulations. The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus is one of coastal Georgia’s most iconic and recognizable species. Blue crabs are also an ecologically important species that serve both as predator and prey in the coastal environment, and their populations can fluctuate widely due to both anthropogenic and environmental changes. Economically, blue crabs support one of Georgia’s most valuable commercial fisheries, second historically only to shrimp in value. In 2016, over 3.6 million pounds of blue crabs were landed in Georgia with a dockside value of over $4.5 million. Catching blue crab is also a popular recreational activity along Georgia’s coast, as access to crabbing locations is fairly abundant. They are also easy to catch with minimal investment in gear, and their meat is prized by consumers. The information compiled through this project is useful to coastal managers for informing decisions on the management of an economically and culturally valuable coastal resource. Feedback from participating crabbers also assisted in the development of outreach resources that can be used to educate crabbers on the importance of conserving Georgia’s blue crab fishery.

Location: Cannons Point, Saint Simons Island, GA

Applicant: Georgia Southern University

The goal of this study was to establish the utility of ribbed mussels as a living shorelines restoration tool. Although erosion is a natural process, it can be problematic in marsh creeks where tides, currents, storms and rising sea levels alter marsh shorelines, particularly near human structures fringing on uplands habitats. As stewards of the state’s coastal marshlands, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) develops and implements techniques to manage coastal erosion and prevent habitat loss. One method used in Georgia to stabilize eroding banks is living shorelines, which provide more natural habitat than bulkheads or rip-rap. The two main objectives of the research were to: 1) Establish the distribution of mussels in local Georgia marshes; and 2) determine whether the addition of ribbed mussels enhances survival and growth of marsh grass plantings on living shorelines. With this information, it will be possible to make restoration and management decisions regarding both living shoreline construction and marsh restoration. This information will inform critical resource management decisions and improve restoration practices in preparation for future coastal conditions.

Location: Ossabaw, St. Catherines, Sapelo, and Jekyll Islands

Applicant: University of Georgia

The goal of this project was to use observational spatial studies and manipulative experiments to investigate how multiple stressors are interacting to shape the future trajectories of Maritime Live Oak forests on four representative barrier islands: Ossabaw, St. Catherines, Sapelo, and Jekyll Islands. The composition of Georgia's barrier island forests is the result of past land use, environmental conditions, and disturbances, but today, these forests are experiencing new suites of conditions and stressors that interact in undescribed ways, raising concerns among many barrier island managers about the future fate of Maritime Live Oak forests, a globally rare ecosystem of great ecological and cultural importance. The research provided new and needed information to help managers and coastal communities understand and conserve Maritime Live Oak forests into the future. The findings were shared and integrated with coastal managers' knowledge through a Maritime Forest Research Workshop and synthesis report.  Through K-12 school outreach, public presentations in under-served communities, and hands-on restoration volunteer opportunities, the project leaders engaged local stakeholders to foster learning and environmental stewardship.

• Improve understanding of coastal hazards and potential impacts
• Develop, implement or incorporate adaptation and mitigation strategies/plans or policies
• Strengthen local capacity to implement FEMA’s Community Rating System

Location: Chatham County, GA

Applicant: Chatham County

The primary goal for this project was to strengthen local capacity for implementing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) in Chatham County and Savannah by performing a Sea Level Rise study. The CRS encourages communities to improve upon the minimum floodplain management standards that are required to participate in the NFIP. FEMA awards points that increase a community’s “class” rating in the CRS on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest ranking. Points are awarded for an array of improvements on how the community informs its public on flood risk including mapping and regulating its floodplain; reducing possible flood damage; and providing immediate warnings of and responding to flooding incidents. By increasing a community’s class, policyholders within a CRS community receive discounts on their policy premiums.

No community in coastal Georgia, or the State of Georgia, has reached a CRS Class 4 rating, so Chatham County and Savannah will serve as an example for other coastal Georgia communities. This project analyzed sea level rise effects on stormwater and critical infrastructure in accordance with ISO/CRS standards such that Chatham County and City of Savannah satisfy the prerequisite for CRS Class 4. The scope of this project expands beyond improvement to the CRS Class, as the County and City identified capital improvement program (CIP) projects and general cost estimates to address the sections of the drainage system most vulnerable to sea level rise.

Location: Camden County, GA

Applicant: Camden County

The Camden County ‘Rise Ready’ Flood Resiliency Project focused on creating three interactive online decision support tools (Flood Risk App, Community Planner App and the FEMA CRS Open Space Explorer App) for the St. Marys and Camden County communities.  Click here to visit the full website with the tools.  These tools, along with associated outreach materials and training events, help the greater Camden County community mitigate and adapt to climate change by providing coastal hazard information and local critical infrastructure data viewed together in a spatial platform to aid in local decision-making that can help reduce their vulnerability to coastal flooding. These tools also help these communities consider important flood resilient policies and prioritize nature-based solutions such as preserved open space, intact natural buffers, and restored floodplains to build flood resiliency and gain Community Rating System (CRS) points, leading to discounts in flood insurance for local residents.

Location: Glynn County

Applicant: Glynn County

As a result of back-to-back hurricane events in 2016 and 2017 and the associated damage, Glynn County partnered with the City of Brunswick and Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) for this project to create a Shoreline Protection Implementation Plan (SPIP) that identified eco-friendly solutions to address shoreline vulnerabilities and future shoreline hazards. Shorelines identified by the “Shoreline Assessment and Implementation Resiliency Plan,” included beach front, exposed marsh front, and river edges. This plan summarizes the project approach and activities and provides recommendations to enhance shoreline protection and resiliency.

A Shoreline Protection Task Force was formed with City, County, and JIA staff to share information and formulate cohesive and linked efforts between all members to increase disaster resiliency countywide. Other Task Force members included: GADNR-CRD, Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and professors from Stetson University, Georgia Southern, and UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. The Task Force and consultants gathered datasets on environmental and coastal hazards, land use, habitat, infrastructure, and other relevant local and regional data from local GIS staff and the Georgia Coastal Hazards Portal (GCHP) website. Available GIS data, along with input from staff and the general public, were used to identify shorelines with the highest vulnerability to erosion and shoreline change. The public identified 27 locations with coastal erosion and high tide flooding, which were later reviewed with local staff to incorporate into a full project list. The Task Force reviewed shoreline protection best management practices and determined that more education was needed on nature-based solutions, particularly living shorelines, and to encourage alternatives to bulkheads. The comprehensive list of management practices included: living shorelines, bulkheads/sea walls, rock revetments/jetties, rip rap, temporary beach access barriers, constructed dunes, sand/dune fencing, beach nourishment/re-nourishment, nearshore placement, land preservation, green stormwater infrastructure, tide control, streambank stabilization, and policy changes.

A matrix was developed as a step to prioritize individual projects and the most vulnerable shoreline segments that would have the greatest impact on community resiliency. In total, 16 projects were identified in the City of Brunswick, 37 in unincorporated Glynn County (12 on mainland and 25 on St. Simons Island), and 14 on Jekyll Island. The potential partners/project leads were identified based on property ownership and potential granting or coordinating agencies. The proposed solutions and alternates were developed based on the review of best management practices.

• Strengthen local capacity to implement sustainable approaches in planning and development
• Increase understanding of costs and benefits associated with sustainable approaches to coastal development
• Identification and preservation of unique community qualities, historical and cultural features, including public education of the above

Location: Brantley, Charlton, and Wayne Counties

Applicant: University of Georgia Research Foundation

The purpose of this project was the creation of a septic inventory database by digitizing historical septic tank records for Wayne, Charlton, and Bryan Counties, completing the septic tank inventory for all counties in the Coastal Resource Division’s geographic scope. This database provides the most comprehensive information to date on the location and characteristics of septic systems, both documented and undocumented. Documented septic systems are inventoried via local health department records. Possible undocumented systems are located through a process of elimination wherein a map of those parcels containing documented septic tanks is overlayed on a map of parcels served by municipal sewer. Any parcels containing a structure that would likely require wastewater service that is served by neither onsite nor municipal wastewater service is flagged as “possibly undocumented”. The project includes the following tasks: 1) project management and hiring of data entry workers, 2) methodological design and updates, 3) data management, 4) GIS database and map creation and, 5) education and outreach activities. The septic tank inventory assists with identifying nonpoint bacterial sources that could be harmful to coastal ecosystems, supporting sustainable coastal development, and enhancing the resiliency of coastal communities to future climate hazards. Coastal communities face a heightened risk of septic tank failure and challenges in siting new septic tanks due to changing climactic conditions. The early phases of the septic tank inventory project were focused on developing a consistent data warehousing approach for historic septic inspection records and identifying potentially undocumented septic systems. At this point, this methodology is well-refined and can be easily translated to other counties. Future uses for the inventory include overlaying information about likely hazards, creating BMPs for wastewater management in future climate scenarios, and assisting in projects that will target repair of systems that are likely failing.

Location: City of Rincon, GA

Applicant: City of Rincon

The City of Rincon, Georgia was awarded a Coastal Incentive Grant to support the development of a Stormwater Utility to address stormwater management needs arising from rapid development and to aid in the construction of a more comprehensive Stormwater Management Program. A Stormwater Utility is defined as “an organizational and financial entity that establishes a formal plan of action and implementation strategy to secure the funding necessary to operate a local government’s stormwater program." Stormwater management programs are a vital aspect of coastal management goals. Coastal ecosystems and resources can be sensitive to the problems associated with urbanization. Coastal salt and freshwater marshes, tidal creeks, and estuaries can be negatively impacted by increases in the volumes of stormwater. Georgia supports one-third of the vegetated salt marsh along the Atlantic coast. These marshes are home to diverse wildlife, from “recreational finfish, shellfish and crustaceans such as the blue crab and the world famous ‘Wild Georgia’ shrimp.” Ensuring the City of Rincon has a strong and sustainable stormwater management plan is important to the continued preservation of the remaining salt marshes and the coastal environment. The Rincon Stormwater Utility will provide revenue to operate the City’s stormwater management program by helping to develop a Stormwater Capital Improvement Plan and by funding stormwater improvement projects.

Location: Downtown Darien, McIntosh County

Applicant: McIntosh County

The goals of this project were to restore the historic vessel Kit Jones to her former beauty, create a landmark final destination for both the Kit and other retired historic vessels, and partner with the McIntosh Chamber of Commerce to integrate a new Coastal Interpretive Center in Darien, GA. The Kit Jones is a 60-foot wood-hull tugboat built on Sapelo Island, Georgia from 1938-1939 by island owner and tobacco company heir R.J. Reynolds, Jr. Constructed by the hands of many skilled African-American boat builders/residents, the boat is rich in Georgia history and is a remarkable surviving example of the coastal wood-boat building tradition. In addition to seeing military service in World War II, she has had a long and stellar career in the service of coastal scientific research - employed by scientists and students from universities and research institutions worldwide. Among the most celebrated users of the Kit Jones during the 1950s and 1960s was Dr. Eugene Odum, known as the “Father of Modern Ecology”, whose groundbreaking research helped to establish the importance of the salt marsh environment in the cycle of marine life. Other prominent users of the vessel during the Sapelo Island years included Dr. Milton “Sam” Gray, for whom Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is named. After more than seven decades of service, followed by many years in dry-dock in Biloxi, MS, she faced a near-certain future of salvage. In November 2016, the Kit Jones was put out for auction. McIntosh Rod & Gun Club, Inc. learned of her availability and took an interest in her future. They organized a successful bid, acquiring official title to the Kit Jones in January 2017. The vessel has been rescued, fully restored and re-located to historic downtown Darien, and is highly noticeable as one crosses the Darien Bridge on Highway 17 from the south. The County donated the land on which the Kit now rests.

• Add or enhance physical access for the public to coastal water resources (i.e. rivers, wetlands, beaches)
• Public access planning
• Conservation of riparian habitats through acquisition
• Land conservation, preservation, and/or management, especially for sea level rise retreat
• Analysis of land conservation needs and opportunities for habitat protection