G Street Living Shoreline

The shoreline enhancement project at G Street includes two types of oyster reefs, sand placement, and planting of native vegetation.

Oysters: The first type of oyster reef is called a "sill" and functions as a hard edge to break wave energy and protect the softer shoreline behind. The sill is the arcing structure on the outside of the marsh and is made of a material called reef prisms. Reef prisms are constructed out of natural woven fibers that are coated with a cement mixture favored by oysters. These prisms are filled with shell stacked along the shoreline to form the sill.

The second oyster reef type is called a "point bar" and functions to trap and hold sand from being exported by long-shore drift. The point bars on G Street are made out of oyster castle blocks. These interlocking blocks are embedded with crushed oyster shell and became rapidly coated with oysters.

Sand Placement: The G Street shoreline lost a good deal of sand to erosion over the years, leaving the road and properties more exposed than before. After the reefs were constructed, wave energy (erosive force) was reduced along the shoreline, allowing clean fill sand to be imported, restoring the shoreline to historical elevations. The sand was trucked in from an approved mine near Grandin, FL. As the sand was delivered, it was graded with the assistance of heavy machinery.

Planting: Finally, marsh and dune vegetation was planted in several zones along the shoreline. This helps stabilize and hold sands in place. The plants also provide extra protection for the shoreline through the wave dampening effects. However, plants need time to establish and consistent monitoring and replanting is sometimes required in living shorelines work. Over time, the vegetative communities may even begin to trap more sand and cause the land area to increase in elevation.