
In some instances, only a portion of your shoreline area may be eroding. If your area is already developed, it is a good idea to look to nearby undeveloped shoreline areas for examples of a more natural state. In the end, a mix of techniques may yield the best project, uniquely fit for your situation. Working with these natural and locally available materials can also dramatically cut project costs.

By imitating this variety, you can maintain or reproduce the natural value of the shoreline and have an effective, resilient, and eye-pleasing shoreline. Regardless of the type of natural shoreline encountered, you will undoubtedly see a wide diversity of materials: live trees, dead branches, stumps, rocks of many shapes and sizes, silt, sand, cattails, grasses, flowering plants, etc. Vegetation can be kept trimmed so as not to block the view - after all, that's why many of us choose to live near the water! It also provides habitat for fish and wildlife. Soft armor is alive and so can adapt to changes in its environment as well as reproduce and multiply. Employ "soft armoring" whenever possible.īy "soft armoring" we refer to live plants, logs, root wads, vegetative mats, and other methods that eliminate or reduce the need for "hard armoring", such as rock rip-rap, stone blocks, sheet-pile or other hard materials.A steep, eroded slope or retaining wall allows waves to crash into the shore, drastically increasing erosion and causing that wave energy to cause damage on adjacent shorelines. The gradual slope of a natural shoreline absorbs the energy of waves. Removing these plants can cause the shore to weaken and easily crumble into the water. The deep roots of these plants bind the earth together while their foliage and branches protect from the erosion caused by rainfall and winds. The native vegetation usually found at the shoreline strengthens its structural integrity and prevents the land from breaking apart. To best preserve the shoreline environment, stabilization methods should follow these basic principles: Some Basic Principles of Shoreline Protection Please be aware that permits are necessary for the installation of most of these methods. We have included advice and information for various shoreline stabilization methods. These methods are much easier on the environment imitate natural systems, can interact naturally within the ecosystem, as well as save you a significant amount of money. The Department encourages the use of "soft" or natural shoreline protection methods over "hard" or structural methods. This guide addresses the problems with some of these common practices and offers alternative methods.

Others may aid in the destruction of the shoreline's natural environment. Some commonly practiced shoreline modifications and erosion control methods can actually increase the rate of erosion as well, resulting in costly structural damage as well as property loss.

Although erosion is not intrinsically harmful, when it is augmented to the point where it affects natural resources, water quality, ecosystems, and property loss, it is generally undesirable. It is caused by a number of factors including storms, wave action, rain, ice, winds, runoff, and loss of trees and other vegetation. It is the gradual, although sometimes rapid, removal of sediments from the shoreline. Shoreline erosion is a natural process that occurs on lakes, streams, rivers and along the coast.
