From predicted sea level rise, to increased strength and frequency of extreme weather events, the effects of climate change are being seen coast to coast. Resulting issues such as flooding and erosion can be damaging to property and concerning to shoreline property owners! While in Nova Scotia, the most common shoreline protections are hard armour solutions such as berms, dykes, and bulkheads (OECD Report, Responding to Rising Seas, 2019), these solutions are often costly, and contribute to coastal squeeze. In contrast to hard armouring solutions, nature-based solutions work to integrate natural shoreline features and restore and protect natural shoreline ecosystems.
The Stewardship Centre for BC (SCBC) has an established Green Shores® program that provides guidance to homeowners, proponents and practitioners to use nature-based approaches for shoreline protection, restoration and risk mitigation. In order to expand the reach of Green Shores, SCBC has partnered with TransCoastal Adaptations and together we are establishing Green Shores in the Maritimes by building local awareness and adapting the program to the Atlantic Coast.
If you are a coastal or lakeshore property owner looking to help protect your property and are interested in getting started with the Green Shores for Homes program, keep reading! This article breaks down how to get started on your own Green Shores for Home project and provides links to inspiration projects completed on the West Coast.
Homeowners enjoying their Green Shores property.
With a changing climate and increased use and development of shorelines, Green Shores nature-based shoreline designs are increasingly effective and thus valuable to shoreline homeowners and coastal communities for mitigating risks such as erosion and flooding from more intense storms with higher wave energy and precipitation. Nature-based solutions help restore habitat, protect coastal ecology, and support natural sediment transport processes.
In contrast to a Green Shores nature-based approach, a conventional practice for shoreline protection is to install hard armour (for example a sea wall, rip-rap, etc.).
Photo credit: District of West Vancouver.
Hard armour use for shoreline protection tends to be more costly to install and maintain and degrade shoreline conditions because wave energy is intensified against them. Rigid hard armour can increase wave action and can be accompanied by erosion, threatening shoreline infrastructure.
Applying nature-based Green Shores solutions is a better alternative for shoreline homeowners. In addition to shoreline protection, Green Shores projects provide economic, environmental, and social benefits for coastal communities.
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Green Shores® is a science-based program that encourages the use of nature-based shoreline solutions to support healthy shoreline environments and provide shoreline protection for waterfront properties. Green Shores offers a framework of best practices, training, certification and technical support in applying nature-based solutions on shoreline properties.
Green Shore’s best practices are based on four guiding principles:
Preserve or restore physical processes such as the natural actions of water and sediment movement that maintain healthy shorelines.
Maintain or enhance habitat function and diversity along the shoreline.
Prevent or reduce pollutants entering the aquatic environment.
Avoid or reduce cumulative impacts. Small individual effects add up to large impacts on shoreline environments.
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Green Shores nature-based solutions work with natural features of healthy shoreline ecosystems such as:
Intact riparian buffer with native vegetation
Retention of overhanging vegetation such as large trees
Large woody debris
Shoreline materials (sand, cobble, gravel and rocks)
Natural processes (sediment transport, wave action, shoreline ecology)
And more!
Green Shores does not rely on the use of artificial structures, cement, or other foreign materials for shoreline stabilization. Instead, Green Shores uses natural materials and designs to reduce wave action and mitigate various shoreline risks worsened by climate change that are faced by waterfront homeowners, such as:
Sea-level rise
Storm surge
Erosion
Flooding
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Green Shores can be used by:
Homeowners, developers or managers on marine or lake shores
Practitioners such as planners, coastal engineers, biologists, contractors
Community planners, regulators and elected officials involved in planning, policy, and management of marine coastal and lakeshore areas
Green Shores for Homes Gold Certified Project: Piper’s Lagoon Nanaimo, BC.
Left is before Green Shores restoration; right is after.
Green Shores for Homes
Green Shores for Homes (GSH) is applicable to residential developments on shorelines. For example, GSH helps waterfront homeowners restore natural shorelines and enjoy the many recreational, scenic, environmental, and shoreline protection benefits they bring.
GSH projects are verified according to the GSH credits and ratings system. Depending on the number of points awarded, a GSH project can receive a Silver or Gold rating.
How Do I Get Started with a Green Shores for Homes Project?
For a Green Shores for Homes project, as a homeowner, you have the opportunity to enroll your site and work with qualified professionals (biologists, coastal engineers, and environmental specialists) to develop and apply a nature-based shoreline design on your property. Follow the steps below:
Become familiar with the program! Visit the SCBC Green Shores website, to learn about the program and find inspiration. The Green Shores Case Studies page features certified Green Shores for Homes and Green Shores for Shoreline Development projects in British Columbia – think about how elements could work for you on the East coast!
If you choose to have your property enrolled in the GSH program, visit the Green Shores Enrollment page to fill out the project enrollment form and get access to additional information, project assistance and a third-party verification that provides credibility to your project outcomes.
Once your application is received, the Green Shores Project Coordinator will arrange a site visit and work with you to assemble a team of qualified shoreline professionals. As a team you will discuss options for Green Shores on your property and find out what training options are available to you.
Note: while in BC there is a list of Green Shores Approved Professionals, this does not yet exist in the Maritimes. A Maritime list will be made available as it develops. In the meantime, your Green Shores Coordinator will help ensure you are working with the right team.
Next, your Green Shores team of shoreline professionals will help you design and implement the Green Shores nature-based project. This will involve collecting background information and completing the project pre-requisites listed in the Green Shores for Homes Credits and Ratings Guide. Note that project design and construction costs are the responsibility of the homeowner.
When the work is complete, the Green Shores Projects Coordinator will assign a Green Shores verifier who will review your documentation and the completed shoreline design to assign points to your project. Points are awarded under different credits, outlined in the Green Shores for Homes Credits and Ratings Guide. Depending on the number of points achieved, your project can receive Silver (GSH Level 1) or Gold (GSH Level 2) certification!
Green Shores certified site. Vancouver Island, BC.
Interested in getting started?
For projects in the Maritimes, check out the TCA Green Shores for Homes page.
For more resources, and to find out about completed Green Shores for Homes projects head over to the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia website.