Living shorelines do require some annual maintenance and take a few years to get fully up and running, but a properly designed project should only need some minor adjustments. If your living shoreline project is not living up to your goals, it may be time to take a second look at the design. To ensure that your goals are met and your project is designed correctly, it is critical to work with properly trained professionals. Though not an all-inclusive list, here are some signs to look out for during regular maintenance checks that additional work may be needed, and suggestions for how to solve them:
Problem:
Sections of Living Shoreline went missing or Moved
Possible Causes:
High wave energy and freezing waters can be very hazardous to newly installed or exposed living shorelines. Waves can knock project materials out of place or scour out plants. This is why it is appropriate to design the project to the specific site. Ice can also shear off sections of the project with the outgoing tide.
Solutions:
The solution may be as simple as pinning the materials back in place or filling in holes with oyster shell bags. It is important that materials such as coir logs be snugly and securely staked in place. Consult a living shoreline designer if you think major alterations to your project are required.
Problem:
Living Shoreline is sinking
Possible Causes:
The project was created on top of squishy/unsettled sediments, and original project design did not account for the settling of living shoreline materials into the ground.
Solutions:
One solution includes increasing the height of the existing coir logs by adding another level of coir logs or shell bags. Consult a living shoreline designer to see which options would be best for your project.
Photo credit: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Problem:
Wildlife disturbing living shoreline
Signs:
Unanticipated interactions with wildlife may necessitate revised living shoreline design. For instance, horseshoe crabs can tear apart coir logs and netting and uproot planted plugs, and waterfowl may feed on small, recently planted plugs.
Solutions:
Coir log materials may need to be reinforced with shell bags, larger plants such as quart sized pots may be needed to be planted instead of plugs, or temporary fencing may be necessary to keep wildlife out.
Problem:
Plants are dying
Possible Causes:
Plants may have not been acclimated to the proper salinity before planting, it was too hot, cold or dry for the plants to survive, or it could also be a sign that your living shoreline is too low in elevation for the plants to survive, meaning that they are getting too wet.
Solutions:
You may just need to plant more plants and hope for favorable weather, or it may be necessary to adjust the elevation or height above water of your shoreline so that the plants can grow without getting too wet. Plants could be dying because your project is sinking. Consult a living shoreline designer to see which options would be best for your project.
Problem:
Drainage Issues
Signs:
Water pooling excessively and not draining well off of the surface of the living shoreline, plants dying off and internal erosion. Conversely, water draining naturally off of the surface in specific areas creating erosion.
Solutions:
If there is water pooling, drainage may need to be improved by creating stabilized channels for water to move through. If there are drainage areas through the project make sure it is properly stabilization with materials like coir logs or shell bags as seen in the image at the top of this column. Consult a living shoreline designer to see which options would be best for your project.
Problem:
Living Shoreline is not filling in with sediment
Possible Causes:
The suspended sediments floating in the water column at the project site are not enough to fill your project or there are gaps in materials, such as coir logs, that let water drain out and not filter through.
Solutions:
If the project is in an area that is naturally sediment-poor or lacks tides, the project may have needed to be back-filled with some extra sand fill. If there are gaps in materials, consider filling in those gaps with coir logs or oyster shell bags. These materials trap sediments as water is filtered through during tidal cycles. Consult a living shoreline designer to see which options would be best for your project.