Lessons Learned with Energy Attenuating Hybrid Living Shorelines Douglas Janiec Natural Resources Program Manager & Senior Restoration Ecologist Sovereign Consulting Inc.
Resilience Example – Natural vs. Urbanized Barrier Islands (Anthropogenic Vulnerability)
09/06/2013
Little Egg Inlet, NJ 09/20/2010
Pre H. Sandy
11/03/2012
10/05/2014
(Natural Resilience)
11/03/2012
Mantoloking, NJ
12/30/2010
Post H. Sandy Page 2
What Does an Attenuating Hybrid Living Shoreline Do? Establishes a multi-step wave energy attenuation system that mimics natural processes. It addresses the cause (energy) of the shoreline instability before it can interact destructively with the shoreline. It offers the greatest diversity and quantity of functional ecological uplift throughout the entire shoreline profile. • Supports LS Projects in Moderate to High Energy Systems
• Oyster Habitat
• Sediment Conservation
• Beach Stabilization for Horseshoe Crab
• Cost Saving for Dune and Nourishment Projects
• Migratory Birds Habitat
• Infrastructure Protection
• EFH Uplift
• Resilience (50+ years)
• Sea grass/SAV Restoration
• Reef Habitat
• Improved Ecosystem Services
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Designing an Attenuating Hybrid Living Shorelines Requires: •An understanding of (all LSs): • how waves interact with a coastline • how waves interact with structures • how waves interact with other waves • coastal/shoreline ecology AND……… •An understanding of (attenuating hybrids): • how nature deals with wave energy
• how wave energy attenuation process actually works • coastal/shoreline ecology Page 4
What wave energy attenuation is not doing.
Higher Shoreline Erosion
Lower Shoreline Erosion
Constructive Wave Energy Redirectioning and Focusing
Destructive Wave Condition
Wave Diffraction Energy can have its form changed, can be moved, and can be stored, but not destroyed.
Apollo Bay, AU
So what does wave energy attenuation do….. In simplest terms, a wave energy attenuation design: 1) Take focused energy (waves) and breaks it up into many smaller units 2) Creates a destructive wave environment so that wave energies become out of phase. 3) The net result is vastly reduced wave energy impacts and typically the creation of accretion zones.
In Phase
Out of Phase Page 6
Hybrid Energy Attenuation System (concept cross sections) (mixed dune/beach/marsh/flat system) Arrows Represent Wave Energy
Existing Beach
MHW Dune, high marsh edge, forest, or other supratidal feature Existing Beach
MLW Natural Accretion Zone (may be long beach, low marsh, intertidal bars, and/or mudflats)
Bottom w/o Irregular Feature
Feature (i.e. sand bar, reef, wide shallows, channel, structure)
MHW Existing supratidal feature gets hammered
MLW Most or all of Step 2 is absent Existing Bottom
Step 1 is or mostly gone
Existing Beach
MHW Created or existing supratidal feature Step 3 (severe storm) Attenuation
MLW Passive accretion and/or optional nourishment (may be beach, intertidal bars, and/or some SAV) Step 2 (lower energy) Attenuation
Existing Bottom
Hybrid Structure (n.t.s.)
Step 1 (higher energy) Attenuation
DELSI Hybrid– Mispillion Lighthouse, DE (Cedar CreekMispillion River Confluence, Kent/Sussex County Line, DE) A pretty neat project, with a complicated energy paradigm
DELSI Tactic DELSI Tactic Hybrid Oyster Castles Shell Bags
Cupped Wave Spreader – Loop Canal, Bethany Beach, DE
Thank you, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays for sharing
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Cupped Wave Spreader – Loop Canal, Bethany Beach, DE
Thank you, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays for sharing
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Cupped Wave Spreader – Loop Canal, Bethany Beach, DE
Schematic Wave refractions Wave diffraction Thank you, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays for sharing
Tidal Vegetated Mud Sill – Marshyhope Creek Federalsburg, MD (Eastern Shore)
Tributary to the Nanticoke R., tidal, maintained navigable channel Chronic Wake Action + Highly Erodible Soils 1’-3.5’ vertical bank near high tide line BUT… Creek edges had gentle, consistent slopes, conducive for living shoreline design
Tidal Mud Sill – Marshyhope Creek, Federalsburg, MD (Eastern Shore)
Lower Tide
Higher Tide
Previous Point of Shoreline Energy Contact Calm Zone
New Point of Shoreline Energy Contact
Photographs provided by Duffield Associates, Inc.
Passive Accretion – Cape Charles, VA
Cape Charles, VA • WAD Deployment occurred just before SS Sandy hit. • Year 1 monitoring results. • Above: Note similar tide elevations by the amount the WADs are exposed • Right/Above: Note the passive accretion in one year Thank you LSS, Inc., Dade City, FL & Mid Atlantic Environmental LLC, Virginia Beach, VA for share monitoring photography
Energy Attenuation Technology at Work
Video provided by Living Shoreline Solutions, Inc.
No One Treatment Works Everywhere Wayfarers® (low to moderate energy)
Oyster Castles® (low to moderate energy)
WADs™ (moderate to high energy)
• Know your products • Stay focused on project goals
Thank You Douglas Janiec Natural Resource Program Manager & Senior Restoration Ecologist Sovereign Consulting Inc. 973-433-6480
[email protected] If this looks like a Cape May Point sunset, your are right!!!