Design Considerations

Design Considerations for Ecologically-Enhanced Shoreline Protection

There are many factors to consider when designing any type of shoreline protection. These include understanding the fundamentals of erosion and its causes, whether by water energy of currents, wind driven waves or vessel wakes or ice (Read more on ice conditions HERE).  The following section discusses these parameters and related studies. For more information, view our pages on Spatial Information for Designing a Shoreline, and Shoreline Engineering.

A discusion of the full suite of parameters, system, hydrodynamic, terrestrial and ecological and be found in Miller et al. (2016)  Living Shorelines Engineering Guidelines. This was prepared by Stevens Institute of Technology researchers for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Engineering and Design Webinar Series

View and participate in our webinar series Sustainable Shorelines Designs: from Long Island to Lake Erie which began in 2016. You can learn more about designs that have worked, costs, outreach, and performance in multiple conditions in New York State and all around the nation.

Shoreline Demonstration Sites

Read the case studies of sustainable shorelines along the Hudson River  here and the forensic analyses for some of the sites here to learn about designs that are successful on the Hudson River Estuary.

Hudson River Planting Guides and Resources

In order to aid individual landowners, landscapers and restoration practitioners in choosing New York native plant species for planting projects in the Hudson River watershed, lists of planting publications, native plant nurseries, and biodegradable landscaping materials has been compiled and made available HERE.