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Assessing Ecological and Physical Performance of Sustainable
Shoreline Structures Stuart Findlay, Jon Miller, Omar Lopez‐Feliciano
Ona Ferguson, Emilie Hauser01/20/2016
hrnerr.org
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Advisory Committee
Land owners
Funders
Regulators
Natural resource managers
Designers (engineers landscape architects and restoration scientists)
Land stewards
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Sustainable Shorelines ProjectPromoting choices that preserve or enhance ecology and shoreline benefits while meeting upland use and engineering needs in a changing climate.
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BEDROCK OTHER
MUDSAND2005 Shoreline Inventory
41%
58%
Engineered,Hard ShorelineNatural
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Ecological Studies & Products
• Literature review • Study of biodiversity (fish,
plants) and organic matter accumulation as a function of shore zone structure & age
• Rapid assessment protocol
• Ecological brochure and handbook
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Engineering Studies & Products
• Literature review • Physical forces
• Cost analysis
• Forensic analyses
Ultra high resolution version of NYHOPS developed
for understanding wave & current variability
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A Literature Review of Existing Methods for Limiting Erosion along Sheltered Shorelines
1/20/2016
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• Several alternatives exist at each site for which the costs are relatively similar.
• Alternative solutions can be cost competitive with traditional approaches.
• Consistent with NOAA’s “Weighing Your Options” report.
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Other Studies & Products
Understanding the management arena
Legal framework
Perceptions of shorelines by users
Outreach
Training
See: https://www.hrnerr.org/hudson-river-sustainable-shorelines
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Demonstration Site Case Studies & Network
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Forensic Analysis Common Findings
• Vegetation Establishment
• Slope Compatibility
• Debris Impact
• Leeside Erosion
• Adaptive Management
• Stone Sizing
Site Coxsackie Esopus Meadows
Habirshaw Irvington Oak Point Hunt’s Point
River Mile 125 86.5 18 25 East River East RiverCounty Greene Ulster Westchester Westchester Bronx Bronx
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Assessing Ecological and Physical Performance of Sustainable Shoreline Structures
Foundry Cove, Cold Spring, NY
Objectives ‐Create a simple yet validated set of metrics targeting key ecological attributes and physical performance of sites within the Sustainable Shorelines Demonstration Site Network ‐Train local and regional land stewards to use these tools, so they can track performance into the future.
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Long Term Outcomes
• Engineers, regulators and policy makers are more confident about performance of nature based shorelines.
• Innovative projects built and become the norm
• Uniform protocols will facilitate long-term and cumulative tracking of performance
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Name Hudson
River Mile
Demonstration Site
Network Case Study
Demonstration Site Forensic
Analysis
Coxsackie Boat Launch 125 Yes Stevens Institute Yes
Athens 4th St. Kayak
Launch
117 Yes Kaaterskill Associates
& Kleinke Associates
Rhinecliff Landing
Bulkhead
90 Stevens Institute
Feeney’s
Esopus Meadows 86.5 Yes Creative Habitat Yes
Foundry Dock 54 Yes Hudson &
Pacific Designs
Dockside 55 Milone & MacBroom
Habirshaw Park 18 Yes Creative Habitat Yes
Nyack Beach 30 Princeton Hydro
Harlem River Harlem River Yes NYC Parks et al.
Hunts Point East River Yes HDR Yes
Oak Point East River na Yes
Demonstration Site Network
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Project Outputs
• Field-validate assessment tools • Guidance manual on the appropriate use of the assessment
tools.• Field-based workshops on applying the assessment tools • Collection of local data on ecological and physical
performance • Baseline condition established before the next major storm.• Potential to establish conditions before a shoreline is
modified.
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Thank YouEmilie Hauser
Estuary Training Coordinator
Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
[email protected] hrnerr.org