Wetlands help us keep our land where we want it.
As sea levels inch upwards, coastal erosion has had a pronounced impact on many areas, including the Chesapeake Bay, where sea level rise has already inundated 13 islands. As water levels rise, the natural movements of water,exacerbated during large storm events, eroding shorelines and causing property damage and in some cases endangering infrastrucutre. Furthermore, erosion send sediment and other pollutants into nearby waters, harming widlife fish and shellfish, as well as commericial shipping routes. During Hurricane Katrina, for example, the United States Geologic Survey estimated that over 8,997,000 m3 of soil was lost to erosion in one coastal county alone.
Living shorelines, or wetlands that run along coastal areas, slow the force of water, reducing velocity and erosion. Alternatives like rock revetments and bulkheads can stop erosion, they can also fail over time, leading to even greater levels of erosion. Living shorelines, on the other hand, often form deep networks of root systems over time that hold the soil together through a natural network.
Learn more about wetlands and shoreline stabilization here.
Shoreline Stabilization and Erosion Control
Credit: Jennifer Greene