You can see the tiny changes on a daily basis, and over the months and years, you can practically watch the ocean move the shoreline, often carrying it away grain of sand by grain of sand. If local environmental concerns or buildings could be threatened by heavy wave activity, shoreline stabilization is perhaps the best way to prevent this from happening.
There are several basic types of shoreline stabilization that are commonly pursued:
- Soft or non-structural stabilization uses vegetation to protect, stabilize or restore the shoreline. Dune grasses, aquatic vegetation plantings, and beach nourishment are some of the more common methods to achieve this. Generally effective in low-energy environments and often requiring ongoing maintenance, this method seeks to preserve habitats for coastal organisms.
- Hard or structural stabilization effectively armors and protects the shoreline from high-energy waves. These structures can be breakwaters, jetties, seawalls, rip rap, or other methods of using hard materials to dissipate wave energy. While maintaining the shoreline, these can affect the shoreline, intertidal habitats, and water dynamics of the area.
- Hybrid stabilization utilizes elements of the two previous methods of shoreline stabilization in order to preserve most of the natural shoreline and maintain greater resilience.
Policies and planning focus on long-term shoreline stabilization. Human use of the area today is balanced with how best to prepare, preserve, and develop the area in a way that future generations will also benefit and enjoy.
At Fender Marine Construction, we specialize in creating the best in marine construction. We make sure we’re always using the best designs, materials, and workmanship in order to ensure the best final product for you and your needs. We aim to create marine construction of all types that is functional, beautiful and long-lasting, so you will be able to enjoy both the water and the shore for many years to come.