Living shorelines can be better alternative for shoreline restoration

The Eastern Shore is getting over storm season, and that means inland bay erosion. The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is hard at work on living shorelines. They recently received a $42,000  grant to evaluate potential sites for living shoreline demonstration projects and develop concept designs for selected sites.
    
Dr. Marriane Walch, a restoration coordinator says, “Provide a way to actually reestablish that connection between the shore and the water. It’s a more natural way. It’s a way of mimicking mother nature.”

Dr. Walch  took 47 ABC to a living shoreline that was established next to the the Indian River Marriane.  Living shoreline projects use natural products to restore the shoreline.

“Things like coconut core fiber mats and logs. Bags of oysters shells. Oyster reefs in some cases,” says Walch.

Since the inland has been built there has been an increase in the nursery areas for fish and many other changes too.

Walch says it usually takes 2 to 3 years to see the complete change in the shoreline and take advantage of the full protection to the shore.