The sea level along the U.S. coastline is projected to rise 10 - 12 inches on average in the next 30 years, putting homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure at risk.
Below are some Coastal Resilience techniques that our team is implementing along the New England Coastline.
Cobble Revetment with Coir Logs
– Johnstown, R
The cobble revetment in this photo was constructed with a combination of natural stone and a coir fiber roll installation at the
top of the revetment. The revetment was due to a lower wave impact at this location. The design assumption was that the low profile of the revetment would be sufficient to reduce most wave impacts on the coastal toe. The coir fiber rolls would then absorb overspray and wave action that overtops the cobble portion of the revetment during severe storms.
Coir Fiber Roll Installation
– Sandwich, MA
This installation highlights Coir envelopes stacked in an array with posts to help keep them in place. Coir envelopes at this location
were the only protection allowed due to dune protections. Dunes under the Wetland Act are meant to furnish sand to the near shore
ocean environment. This regulation dictates that coastal protection is limited to “soft” structures in this situation vs a rock revetment (“hard” structure)
Heavy Duty Sand Drift Fence
– Cape Cod, MA
The purpose of the sand drift fence is to accumulate wind-blown sand to naturally rebuild/renourish a dune or the toe of a coastal bank. A “heavy duty sand drift fence” is for locations where waves and surf are particularly intense, and therefore the fence has to be designed to withstand such forces during storm season (winter & early spring). Subsequently, during the non-storm seasons (late spring, summer and fall), the fence can resume its role in naturally accreting sand for restoring/expanding a dune at the toe of a coastal bank.
We Provide nature-based solutions for erosion control and the restoration of coastlines for beachfront property owners.
Research has suggested that the concept of “hard” coastal bank protection (e.g., rock revetments, concrete or sheetpile seawalls) actually increases the rate of beach erosion. Storm-driven waves and surf hit the hard structures and reflect back towards the ocean, removing beach sand in the process. Such research has lead to the creation of the field of “soft” structures. The advantage of a soft structure is that they absorb the impact of storm-driven waves. This reduces the degree of wave reflection and thus beach erosion. Regulatory authorities prefer soft structures in most situations due to the reduced rate of beach erosion.
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