by McKenzi Heger | September 19, 2018
When you visit the beach, you often see signs that read “please keep off the dunes.” While the dunes may look like a great way to take a shortcut to your beachfront condo, it’s important to refrain. Why? Because dunes help communities bounce back after hazardous events like Hurricane Florence and can even reduce the chance of serious damage.
Environmental firms, like GreenVest, who offer services to protect our coastlines and help aid in the restoration of wetlands, put a lot of time and effort into coastal resiliency planning. These services include restoring saltwater marshes and building dunes to strengthen the environment which is under assault from drastic climate changes that are leading to rising sea levels, storm surges, and heavy storms. These storms can cause flooding and erosion to shorelines which, in turn, cause damage to beaches and other areas of land including homes, businesses and natural habitats.
GreenVest has participated in several coastal resiliency projects, including the Ring Island Salt Marsh Restoration site in Middle Township, Cumberland County, NJ. This project’s goal was to restore and enhance acreage within the Cape May Watershed and determine whether or not the dredging material is suitable for restoration and stabilization of other salt marshes in the area.
The importance of coastal resiliency planning heightens as global temperatures rise, especially during hurricane season. Recently, we’ve witnessed Hurricane Florence impact North Carolina, creating powerful storm surges that have caused flooding in Wilmington, NC, and surrounding cities. Two coastal resiliency plans the State of North Carolina have developed are oyster reefs and open space floodplains. Both help to control the wave size during storms and keep water away from homes by redirecting the flow towards an open space. If it weren’t for North Carolina’s coastal resilience plan, things could have been much worse.
If you’re interested in learning more or want to develop a solution for your area, contact us today.
