Airport Rd. Living Shoreline

Along this section of the Airport Rd. Living Shoreline, several large reefs were constructed offshore out of a material called reef balls. If the tide is low enough, you should be able to see the dome-like structures. Reef balls are concrete domes that act as a hard surface for oysters to attach. As oysters and barnacles settle on them, they will filter water and the physical structure of the reefs help break wave energy.

After the reefs were built, additional sand along the shoreline was necessary to replace what had been lost over decades of erosion. The Airport Rd. shoreline was previously lined with riprap rocks and a concrete-covered bank. The team placed sand directly on top of the riprap and concrete on the shoreline to protect these armored structures while enhancing natural shoreline benefits. Finally, as in the other living shoreline projects on the tour, we planted marsh and dune vegetation (with the help of many volunteers) to help stabilize and hold sands in place and trap new sands over time.