Shoreline Management
Definition Shoreline management refers to a variety of practices that reduce shoreline erosion. There is no one-size-fits-all method for managing shorelines, as site-specific plans for stabilizing a shoreline must take into account local geology, wave energy, sea level rise, and historic and current erosion conditions. Generally, living shoreline restoration and stabilization techniques are preferred over hardened shoreline practices.
Living shorelines use vegetation and other natural materials to help reduce erosion and protect upland areas while improving water quality, shoreline habitat, and coastal resilience. Hardened shoreline protection practices, such as bulkheads and stone revetments, do not support critical habitat along the shoreline or provide stormwater management benefits, and they can exacerbate erosion processes elsewhere in the waterway.