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Living shorelines, also known as green shorelines, are a form of environmental soft engineering designed to reduce coastal erosion and protect waterfront properties. By planting native grasses, shrubs and other vegetation along the coastline, which act as a natural barrier against harsh waves and storms, living shorelines can absorb the impact and direct it away from eroding soil. In doing so, they also create suitable habitats for birds and various aquatic species. In many cases, they are a viable replacement for hard engineering erosion prevention like seawalls and rip-raps, which can damage the coastline and surrounding ecosystem. In other cases, living shorelines combine hard and soft engineering to better protect against intense climates. With so much versatility in terms of appearance and approach, it can be difficult to define what a true living shoreline looks like. This green infrastructure can be found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada.
Benefits and Impacts
Using natural materials found in the ecosystem to build living shorelines creates cascading positive outcomes not only for the eroding shore but also for the wildlife that inhabits the environment.
Living shorelines act as ecosystems for waterfowl to feed and nest, provide a more reliable migratory track for fish and wildlife and protect the habitats of underwater vegetation and estuarine species. They can also act as a water filter as the brush prevents sediment from getting swept up by the water, improving the water quality in the area.
As the dense vegetation absorbs the impact of oncoming waves and storms, it reduces the amount of displaced soil and regulates water flow and supply. Throughout time, as the plants strengthen their root systems, the living shoreline will become more resilient to harsh storms, making them a long-term solution to coastal erosion.
Implementing a living shoreline is also more cost-effective than hard-armouring options, both in building and maintaining the infrastructure.
Pacific Coast
To prevent erosion and flooding, British Columbia has a long history of implementing seawalls along its coast, which have a reputation for being expensive and harmful to surrounding ecosystems. As sand is pushed away from the bedrock, native species are forced to find more suitable habitat while non-native, invasive species take hold (see Invasive Species in Canada: Plants and Invasive Species in Canada: Animals). Living shorelines combat this issue, creating a more viable ecosystem for native species.
In 2005, the Stewardship Centre for BC created the Green Shores program. This initiative educates and encourages waterfront property owners and local governments about building living shorelines to help reduce the impact of residential development on coastlines. They provide certification programs and free workshops to address the impacts of climate change on coastal areas, encouraging citizens to implement living shorelines on their property. In 2021, they extended their program to the Atlantic Coast with a new chapter based out of Nova Scotia with Saint Mary’s University.
Atlantic Coast
Coastal communities along the Atlantic Ocean face severe threats of erosion due to rising sea levels and storm surges. Some parts of the East Coast are made up of sandstone bedrock, which quickly erodes against harsh weather, so the need for adaptative approaches is pertinent. Due to these regions’ geology, living shorelines are particularly beneficial, as the native plants’ intricate root systems help to trap the sediment.
Many of the living shorelines that make up the Atlantic Coast are spearheaded by small, grassroots organizations like Helping Nature Heal and TransCoastal Adaptations. Their projects largely focus on small coastal communities threatened by erosion. While helping to strengthen their shorelines, the organizations also host workshops to raise awareness for the green approach.
While living shorelines have become more common along the Atlantic in recent years, most erosion prevention is still largely made up of hard armouring. However, with the rising concern about the effects of climate change on coastal communities, government entities have been more involved in implementing innovative measures and reducing coastal development.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of living shorelines are minimal. The most prominent issue involves high-wave energy environments, which are generally not suited for this green infrastructure. Since living shorelines are weakest when first planted, strong waves can damage them early on. This can be avoided by combining them with hard armour like breakwaters and rock sills.
Encouraging individual coastal homeowners to steward a living coastline on their property can also prove complex, as some individuals may not enjoy the unmanicured look of native vegetation. Additionally, seawalls are more familiar to the public and may provide a better sense of security.
Growth and Pushback
While interest in nature-based solutions has grown in recent years, decades of traditional hard-engineering approaches have resulted in a hesitancy to implement living shorelines. An increase in public awareness of nature-based alternatives and how to implement them may lead to green shores gaining more popularity.
Various environmental organizations are encouraging individual coastal property owners to embrace soft-engineering approaches to protect their homes rather than using seawalls or rip-raps. Through the success of smaller projects like these, those same organizations are convincing governments to implement living shoreline policies to help protect Canada’s coasts.
