Living Shorelines use natural alternatives to traditional hardened shoreline restoration structures like bulkheads, seawalls, and riprap. The natural structures of living shorelines act as breakwaters, dampen wave energy, and accumulate fine sediments behind them. This process stabilizes the shoreline by slowing down or halting the erosion process.
S.C. Living Shorelines:
In South Carolina, most living shorelines are oyster-based. Larval (or baby) oysters require a hard substrate to attach to and grow, forming new oyster reefs. While larval oysters prefer to settle on other oyster shells, they will also utilize other suitable hard substrates. South Carolina oysters are considered “substrate limited,” meaning there are enough wild adult oysters to produce healthy populations of new generations, but not enough shells or hard substrates for larval oysters to settle on.
To address this, we create and deploy alternative substrates like Modified Wire Reefs (MWR’s), OysterCastles©, repurposed crab pots, and bamboo and tomato stakes. Although oyster shells are the most natural substrate, they are a limited resource and there is currently not enough to meet the needs for maintaining South Carolina’s harvestable oyster grounds.
Oyster-Based Living Shoreline Benefits:
Oyster-based living shorelines provide several environmental benefits. They create thriving habitats for various fish and invertebrate species, grow continuously to adapt to sea level rise, and are generally less expensive to construct and maintain than traditional hardened counterparts.
Other Natural Erosion-Control Solutions:
In addition to oyster-based approaches, there are several other approaches utilized in South Carolina which include marsh grass plantings (Spartina alterniflora), coir logs, and wattle fencing. Marsh grass can be planted behind oyster-based structures. As the grass grows, it secures the sediment that accumulates behind the reef. Coir logs and wattle fencing are more suitable alternatives for freshwater applications where salinity is too low for oysters.
Permitting & Professional Assistance:
It is important to note that implementing living shorelines in marine environments requires a permit from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC-OCRM), as well as official, stamped plans.
Shoreline Restoration Group specializes in designing and implementing living shoreline projects and our team is here to guide you through the entire process, from start to finish! Give us a call at 864-934-7922 or email us for more information.
