Restoring & Protecting the NC Coast

    North Carolina has over 4,600 miles of estuarine shoreline. On average 30 miles of this vital resource including coastal marshes are lost each year due to development impacts. This trend will continue and be exacerbated in the coming decades due to storms, boat wakes, and sea level rise unless a concerted restoration and protection effort occurs.

NCCF supports the recommendations of the N.C. Estuarine Biological and Physical Processes Work Group, which was convened by the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission in 2002 and 2006.   NCCF's Senior Scientist Tracy Skrabal was a member of the work group.  The Work Group evaluated the ecological functions and values of the different North Carolina shoreline types and the habitat changes due to the physical impacts associated with each shoreline stabilization structure or method.

The recommendations of shoreline stabilization methods are based upon the Work Group’s stated goal of maintaining the current shoreline type and continuation of the current ecological functions and values. Based on these criteria, the lists of stabilization measures for each shoreline type represent a ranking of options, from the option with the least potential adverse impact to the existing system to the option with the greatest potential adverse impact to the system.

In summary, the recommendations for each of the shoreline types are typically different with a few similarities. The number one recommendation for all estuarine shoreline types is land planning (i.e., leave the land in its natural state, and locate upland structures to allow for inevitable shoreline changes). Typically, the number two recommendation is to use vegetation control because vegetation is a natural and environmentally beneficial stabilization method. In many cases, beach fill is a recommended action to maintain the current shoreline type due to its non-structural, non-hardening attributes. When shoreline hardening stabilization methods are proposed and are justified/approvable under current regulations, the Work Group ranks sills with marsh vegetation as the most preferred option since it is a relatively low-profile structure that is located channelward of existing marsh or at a location that will  support wetland plantings, or the conservation of existing wetland vegetation.  Depending upon site and energy conditions, sills may be constructed of different materials, such as stone, wood, or oyster shell bags. Groins, breakwaters, sloped structures, and vertical structures vary in ranking and were determined to be shoreline type- and site-specific.

The full report can be found on the Division of Coastal Management's website.

In its work on these problems, in 1999 the NCCF began a pilot cost share program to encourage the demonstration of "Living Shoreline" projects along the estuarine coasts of North Carolina. Broadly defined, a living shoreline project is an innovative approach that combines various stabilization methods to control shoreline erosion, while restoring and/or preserving the characteristics of the estuarine marshes and upland buffers. Living shoreline typically use a low rock sill to absorb wave energy. Behind the sill, wetland vegetation is planted to restore the lost habitat, provide a stormwater buffer, and reduce erosion.

Through grant support from sources such as NOAA's Community Based Restoration Program, Restore America's Estuaries, NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund and others, NCCF has provided cost share funds for 19 sites. The NCCF has provided technical assistance for numerous property owners and partners throughout the estuarine region.

Local volunteers and student groups are instrumental in completing the planting and monitoring of living shorelines projects. Click to learn more about planting opportunities, NCCF's Student Wetland Nursery Program, our Shoreline Monitoring Program, or to view our Living Shoreline Fact Sheet.

Through October 2004, the NCCF has completed 19 living shoreline demonstration projects:

• Carteret Community College: This demonstration project at Carteret Community College in Morehead City consists of a 250-foot section of living shoreline, a 250-foot breakwater section with gaps along it, a section of oyster bags and oyster reef domes, and a stormwater BMP. Understandably, this project has inspired a great deal of interest from researchers from Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State University, as well as several other groups. This project is currently under construction.
• Morris Landing: A 575-foot sill was installed at this degraded shoreline on Stump Sound near Holly Ridge, and nearly 0.5 acres of wetland grasses were planted behind it in 2005. The 52-acre Morris Landing sight was acquired through a grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and will used by the NCCF for public education and recreation. A public pier and un-improved boat ramp are also located at this sight.
• Edenton: Completed in 2004, this project was funded by Restore America's Estuaries at a Wildlife Resources Commission public boat ramp near Edenton, and demonstrates the viability of these projects in freshwater environments.
• Harker's Island: This 400-foot living shoreline project was completed at the Bostic site in 2004 through support from NOAA’s Community-Based  Restoration Program, and the Restore America’s Estuaries program. The site is on the north side of Harker's Island, bordering the Straits.
• Manteo: This project at the Roanoke Island Festival Park was a collaborative effort of the NCCF and the US Army Corps of Engineers and was recognized nationally in 2004. Additional partners include NOAA’s Community-Based Restoration Program, Restore America’s Estuaries, NC Division of Water Resources, NC Division of Marine Fisheries.
• Oriental: The Steffee Project combines the living shoreline sill with a low-profile marsh-toe revetment, designed to restore and protect the natural marshes along the Neuse River. This project was completed in 2004 with support from NOAA’s Community-Based  Restoration Program, and the Restore America’s Estuaries program.
• Columbia: The Lasseters Landing Living Shoreline Project was constructed with funds and support from the property owners, NCCF, and grant support from NOAA’s Community-Based Restoration Program, and the Restore America’s Estuaries program. This 424 foot-long sill was completed in 2002, and is an example of a brackish ecosystem.
• Beaufort: This project, funded by RAE, was completed in 2002 at the Duke University Marine Laboratory on Piver's Island. The 250-foot failing bulkhead was removed and a living shoreline was planted with over 8,000 marsh plants.
• Pine Knoll Shores: Four adjacent property owners worked jointly with NCCF and NC Sea Grant to establish a 450-foot long granite sill to stabilize their shoreline and preserve the existing marsh. The Green project borders Bogue Sound to the south, and was completed in 2002.
• NC Maritime Museum: Two separate sections of shoreline demonstration areas were restored and stabilized at this site in Beaufort, NC. This project was completed in 2001 in coordination with NOAA, Restore America's Estuaries, and the North Carolina Wetlands Restoration program.
• Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium: The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is an excellent place to learn about coastal habitats, and the creatures that call them home, and a great fit for a stabilization technique that restores habitat. The living shoreline at the aquarium, completed in 2001, involved students Duke University's Marine Lab, the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, and local volunteers.
• Salter Path: The Stuber Project used a combination of innovative approaches to stabilize the shoreline and protect habitat area for this project on Bogue Sound.
• Hammocks Beach: The existing bulkhead at Hammocks Beach State Park was removed and replaced with a living shoreline in 2000. Nearly 1/2 acre of march was restored through this project, which was a partnership of NCCF, NC Division of Parks and Recreation, and the NC Wetlands Restoration Program.
• Wilmington: In 2000, the Bradley Oaks Project was completed in Wilmington to stabilize and conserve the existing natural area in this developed area. Several areas were regraded and planted with native grasses, flowering plants and shrubs. Biologs and native grass plantings replaced wooden bulkheads along the steeper bank areas.
• Long Beach: About 200 feet of shoreline along the heavily used Intracoastal Waterway was protected with this Brunswick County living shoreline.
• New Bern: A 176-foot sill was constructed for the Occorr Project to protect bald cypress trees along the Neuse River. This project was completed in 1999 through support from NOAA’s Community-Based  Restoration Program, and the Restore America’s Estuaries program.
• Marshallberg: NCCF offered support for this living shoreline project at the McGowen site. This salt-water wetland restoration borders on Core Sound and was completed in 1998.