Shoreline Assessment, Permitting, and Stabilization Design
FEA, teamed with consulting firms KAS and EcoSolutions were contracted by the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) to work with over a dozen shoreline landowners to develop stabilization plans consistent with the NRPC’s Shoreline Stabilization Handbook. The designs were supported by site-specific analyses of soil stability, exposure to wind and wave energy, and topographic mapping collected by FEA and KAS. Proposed stabilization treatments were tiered along the slope depending on the energy exposure at each elevation. Along the lower slopes with frequent wave action, a higher degree of resistance was required with a boulder toe, etc. A moderate degree of resistance was required along the mid-slopes of most sites; this was achieved using the bioengineering treatments (e.g., coir wattles, live branch layering) and vigorous shrub plantings (as shown below courtesy of KAS). Finally, on the upper slopes where wave action is very infrequent, revegetation with vigorous shrub vegetation alone was utilized. The project team successfully managed the implementation of 4 shoreline stabilization projects in 2014, including sourcing all project materials and construction coordination.