Understanding Living Shorelines

What is a living shoreline?

A living shoreline is a nature-based method for stabilizing a shoreline and protecting it from erosion. Living shorelines are sometimes referred to as green or soft shorelines. Unlike traditional “hard” shoreline stabilization techniques, such as concrete seawalls, living shorelines are made of natural materials such as plants, sand, rock, or oyster shells.

Because they incorporate natural elements, living shorelines provide environmental benefits such as habitat for fish and wildlife. They can also become more stable over time, as the plants and roots grow.

Green vegetation lines the shore of a park — A living shoreline along the Chester River in Maryland. Credit: Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program.

What are the benefits of living shorelines?

Living shorelines are both beautiful and practical. They are an innovative and cost-effective technique for coastal management that adds attractive, low-maintenance green space to the landscape. Their services to the environment—and people—include:

Purifying water by filtering runoff
Buffering storm surge by storing floodwater
Reducing erosion by absorbing wave energy and stabilizing soil
Storing carbon in coastal wetlands
Attracting wildlife to habitat

Evidence shows that, during major storms, a living shoreline performs better than a hardened shoreline. Areas with natural coastal habitats (such as wetlands, dunes, mangroves, and oyster and coral reefs) also have higher populations of fish and other living organisms that support recreational and commercial fishing.

Living shorelines provide benefits such as cleaner water, flood absorption, and habitat creation — Living shorelines can provide many benefits to coastal communities. Credit: NOAA.

How do living shorelines differ from traditional shorelines?

Living shorelines use natural materials such as plants, sand, rock, or oyster shells. They provide ecological benefits, including creating habitat for wildlife and filtering pollution from the water. Over time, living shorelines can become more stable as plants and root systems grow and establish. They are typically low-maintenance and tend to cost less than hardened shorelines, for both installation and maintenance.

Traditional, hardened shorelines use artificial structures such as concrete seawalls or bulkheads. They generally offer minimal to no ecological benefits. Hardened shorelines tend to degrade over time because of wear and tear from waves and storms, and they can incur higher maintenance costs if they need significant repairs.

Considerations for what techniques to use to stabilize a shoreline vary based on specific conditions at the site, such as the amount of wave energy, variation in high and low tides, and the slope of the shoreline. Techniques range from “green” living shorelines to “gray” structural approaches, as well as hybrid approaches in between. Choosing the softest, or greenest, approach possible based on site conditions helps maximize both ecological benefits and shoreline protection.

Spectrum of green living shoreline techniques to gray hardened coastal structures — Shoreline stabilization techniques range from “green” living shorelines to “gray” structural approaches, with hybrid approaches in between. Credit: Systems Approach to Geomorphic Engineering.

Where can I see living a shoreline?

Estuaries, bays, rivers, and other sheltered shorelines are good candidates for living shorelines. Typically, living shorelines are not found on beaches along the open ocean. You can use our national map to find a NOAA-funded living shoreline project near you.

trinitycenter_rachel bisesi NCCF_750x500.jpg — Living shoreline project at the Trinity Center in Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina. Credit: Rachel Bisesi/North Carolina Coastal Federation.

What are the steps to create a living shoreline?

The main steps involved in planning and creating a living shoreline include:

Site analysis and design: The first step is to determine whether living shoreline stabilization is appropriate in a particular area. This includes an evaluation of the bank erosion rate and elevation, wave energy, prevailing wind and wave direction, vegetation, soil type, adjacent shorelines, and drainage patterns. After the site analysis, design of the living shoreline begins.
Permit approval and legal compliance: Compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and permits must be ensured prior to implementation.
Site preparation: After appropriate permits are obtained, the site is cleared of debris and unstable trees, and failing seawalls and bulkheads can be removed.
Installation: Typical living shoreline creation includes planting riparian, marsh, and submerged aquatic vegetation; installing organic materials such as bio-logs and organic fiber mats; and constructing oyster reefs or “living breakwaters” that dissipate wave energy before it reaches the shore.
Monitoring and maintenance: Scientific monitoring of the restored habitat gathers information on the success of the project. Maintenance activities include debris removal, replanting vegetation, adding additional sand fill, and ensuring that the materials remain in place and continue to stabilize the shoreline.

A rocky living shoreline protects the end of a sandy island — A living shoreline protects Robinson Island in coastal Alabama. Credit: Moffat & Nichol.

Who can help me create a living shoreline?

Almost anyone can install some of the simpler techniques of living shorelines. Larger and more complex projects may require engineer plans and permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

For all projects, consider consulting with a professional who understands permits and approvals, and how to restore local habitats.

NOAA offers useful resources related to living shorelines, including Guidance for Considering the Use of Living Shorelines.

Vegetation and rocks along a small stretch of shoreline — A living shoreline borders the Severn River in Maryland. Credit: Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program.