THE SHALLOWS

BAY LANDSCAPES AS ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

THE PROTECTIVE SHALLOWS
Our project overlays COASTAL RESILIENCY infrastructure with HABITAT ENHANCEMENT waste water and fertilizers - mean that our critical estuaries and bays are at risk
techniques and ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP models, deploying a range of layered of disappearing within decades, if not years. With their shallow bathymetry and
strategies that link in-water protective forms to onshore interventions. We have mapped delicate balance of vulnerable marine life, a loss of these endangered waters
SCAPE / LANDSCAPE potential enhancements to endangered bay landscapes and communities, and propose a would threaten not only the places we live, work, and play but also our cultural
$ 17,700,000 LANDED VALUE
range of design ideas that protect us from the extremes but also improve the quality of connection to the water. These newly reclaimed protective bay landscapes will
ARCHITECTURE PLLC MONTAUK FISHING PORT (2010)
our lives every day. serve as beloved fishing and recreational grounds, places to wade, swim, and
$ 554,000,000 TOTAL BOATING-RELATED learn, and more importantly as crucial absorptive ecological infrastructure for
Parsons Brinckerhoff EXPENDITURES IN CONNNECTICUT (2013)
Climate change is bringing new challenges to Americas eastern seaboard. Its predicted the communities that have formed around them. We have developed a research
Stevens Institute effects include a rise in mean temperature and precipitation, accelerated sea level process that links ecology and proven coastal protection to increase biodiversity,
rise, and more frequent, extreme flooding and storm events like Superstorm Sandy. stewardship, and education models, reducing overall system-wide risk and
Ocean and Coastal Consulting These phenomena- coupled with the excess nitrogen levels in our waters from treated enhancing recreational and economic opportunities for all.
SeaArc Consulting
The Harbor School
LOT-EK
MTWTF $ 1,100,000,000 TOTAL BOATING- RELATED
EXPENDITURES IN NEW YORK CITY/ LONG
Paul Greenberg ISLAND / HUDSON RIVER (2003)

SCHOOL

Design to perceive risk and

COASTAL ACCESS
reduce fragility
POINT
OPEN BAY
TIDAL Risk is embedded in all strategies that
FLATS
MARSH ISLAND
are outlined on the following three
$ 2,100,000,000 TOTAL BOATING-RELATED
boards. Our approach aims to step down New Orleans
EXPENDITURES IN NEW JERSEY (2006)
Connecting schools to water risk with each investment, redefine
New applied science-based middle and high school curric- scales of harm, and move beyond Jamaica Bay today
ARTIFICIAL REEF ulums have established innovative frameworks for learning the impossible scenario of enclosing
OFFSHORE and engaging the joint built-natural environment, centered
SAND BAR on critical water bodies as learning units. Harbor restoration, dry from wet to addressing larger
$ 22,800,000 LANDED VALUE,
POINT PLEASANT FISHING PORT (2010)
maritime skills, and aquaculture among many other skill sets issues of ecosystem collapse, cycles of Netherlands
overlay with the urgent task at hand to rebuild social as well
as infrastructural resiliency. regional decline, and managed, calmer,
and non-disastrous inundation events.
We build up resiliency by strengthening
INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY
CONFINED DISPOSAL
networks, incrementally decreasing the
FACILITIES overall risk embedded in the system. NYC

Our strategies mitigate the impacts

of flooding without eliminating it

Shallow water cycles

altogether and re-focus the region on
$ 25,800,000 LANDED VALUE, LONG
BEACH-BARNEGAT FISHING PORT (2010) ecologically driven improvements that
DREDGED CHANNELS FOR
RECREATIONAL BOATING
make flooding slower, cleaner, and safer,
and less prone to catastrophic failure. Jamaica Bay + 6 SLR
Interconnected systems by their very nature We aim to make risk legible and part of
are more resilient they are not dependent everyday life, while building ecological COMMUNITY FRAGILITY : Much of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. faces high degrees
Rethinking dredge networks upon one element to succeed or fail but and social resiliency through new
of uncertainty when planning for risk, mostly due to the variable nature of hurricanes. ECOSYSTEM FRAGILITY : Bay landscapes face risks from urbanization, water
Preparing protections for the 100-year flood can leave NYC vulnerable in the face of a contamination, sediment starvation, and sea level rise innundation. Jamaica Bays
Realignment of select systems ensure coastal access as well rather offer networked opportunities for z stewardship programs on the waterfront. substantially higher 1000-year flood event. wetlands are predicted to be completely lost by 2024 without intervention.
as increased protective benefit. Scales of dredge can be
localized to nourish local wetlands or increase bathymetric change and continual recalibration.
$17,300,000 LANDED VALUE levels to keep pace with anticipated sea level rise. COMMERCIAL FISHING
ATLANTIC CITY FISHING PORT (2010) HARBOR

MARINA

PROJECT WITH RECYCLED

GLASS AGGREGATE
CLOSED SHELL-
FISH AREAS
SPORT FISHING
GROUNDS Testing the ecological
RECYCLING CENTER,
HUDSON RIVER BED
approach
JERSEY CITY
Economic sustenance Communities that were flooded by Sandy Hackensack Shallowing
Economic models related to the once prosperous fishing
HISTORIC OYSTER
face complex decisions about the future, See BAY NOURISHMENT
and shellfish industry show that it has been decimated in
MATERIAL RECOVERY many zones along the East Coast. We are importing food BEDS and a quantification of risk-reduction
CENTERS
REGIONAL NETWORK from distant lands, in an unsustainable scenario. Long- impacts is a useful tool to understand the
term, we may be able to reclaim this landscape not only
OF THE SHALLOWS Claremont Recycling
Center, Jersey City as a recreational resource but as a means of potential
benefits of ecological infrastructure. With MODEL RUN #1:
Barnegat Bay Shallowing
Sandy-affected Landscape Bulky metal is recovered with a grapple
and a drum magnet. income and sustenance. Dr. Philip Orton of the Stevens Institute of SHALLOWING See BAY NOURISHMENT
Bags are opened, and glass is removed
Sandy-affected Urbanization by a trommel screening device. Tapping into waste cycles
Optical sorters are used to separate PET,
Technology, we have run preliminary tests Habitat breakwaters
Dredge wetlands Jamaica Bay Extreme Shallowing
Artificial Reefs
HDPE and mixed plastics.
Our project reclaims glass out of the waste cycle and, to evaluate the proposed strategies using Bay nourishment (shallowing)
See BAY NOURISHMENT
Dredge wetlands
since this material is highly stable and has high biolog- the ADCIRC hydrodynamic model and SWAN
Prohibited Shellfish Zone
Special restricted shellfish zone
ical recruitment value in a marine context, repurposes Biogenic buildup wave model. Seen at right are the two sets
Tidal flat and SAV restoration
this material as an aggregate for constructed breakwa- Constructed reefs
Seasonally restricted shelllfish zone
ters and reef systems. We also aim to remove precious Eastern oysters and blue and ribbed mussels among of modeling runs that were developed Large Scale oyster reef
Confined Disposal Facility oyster and clam shells from the garbage dump with the many others in our regional ecosystem form an ecolog-
Marina aim to treat and return them to the marine environment ical glue that builds structural strength within coastal shallowing strategies and wave-breaking Dunes and beach berm

Shipping route as substrate or aggregate additives to jump start the protective measures.These bivalves create 3D mosaic strategies. Results for each intervention can
School shallowing and breakwater building process. structures in the landscape that have beneficial hydrody-
namic roughness factors, while simultaneously helping
be seen on the following boards. In some
to filter out excess nitrogen in the water. Increased bio- instances these were dramatic, in others,
logical productivity directly improves long term ecologi-
minimal. Modeling results are one element
cal stability and resilience, generating systems that can
grow with and adapt to climate change over time. New of many within our regional research,

Building community sources of oyster and mussel larvae in the tidal system
leads to an exponential increase in harbor-wide benefits
- gluing together disparate substrates and incremen-
tally stepping up friction factors throughout the water
as shallow water ecosystems have risk
reduction capacities that move beyond
questions of wet versus dry.

around water
column.
Staten Island Reefs
Category-2 Hurricane Donna struck Long Island in 1960 See CONSTRUCTED REEFS
and caused the second highest water elevations in New
York Harbor in the 90-year period of continuous tide gauge
records at The Battery, at 7.4 ft above todays mean sea
The strategies outlined here are not meant to be used alone and in isolation, but level. Trailing well behind Sandys 11.5 ft, the inundation
was still significant. Superstorm Sandy has been called an
rather in concert with local communities and new and existing management mod- Water Plaza/ Jamaica Bay idiosyncratic storm and a 1000-year event due to the
Emergency A Train/ uniqueness of much of its behavior, so we are focusing on a
els. Together, they thicken the coastal edge - calming waters and creating habitats Staging Area Airtran Station more common type of storm in our first modeling assessment.
Existing Water Access
while expanding the potential for human interaction with water. The Sandy impacted Points
Prior to landfall, Donnas winds over the coastal zone and
inland areas were from the East, whereas Sandys winds
region is highly urbanized and in many cases lacks strong relationships to water Emergency were mostly from the NE, so there were differences in which
Potential Water bay shorelines were most heavily impacted by waves. In
many people impacted by flooding did not know that their families or properties Response
Center/ Network both cases, the storm center offshore caused large swell to
were at risk. Fostering a water-based culture is at the heart of this project, and each Floodable Stage propagate similarly from the SE toward the regions open
Escape Route
Escape Route Shallowing ocean shorelines. All results are preliminary, as each strategy
strategy and site looks for low cost, simple techniques for linking people and neigh- Interventions requires further refinement and study with multiple storm and
Piermont Breakwater
borhoods to their waterfronts. Whether as small as a fish cleaning station or as large tide scenarios. MODEL RUN #2: See HABITAT BREAKWATER
Gateway/Access Points
as a city-scale rental boat network, we propose that risk-reducing ecological infra- WAVEBREAKING
structures be coupled with new water activity hubs, weaving the realities of the wa- Shallows Network Habitat breakwaters

terfront into the fabric of everyday life. North DUNES AND BERMS Bay nourishment (shallowing)
Channel Dredge wetlands
Beach Tidal flat and SAV restoration
Schools offer additional opportunities for cultivating long term estuary stewardship. Constructed reefs
Our partners, The Harbor School, have advanced models for engaging middle and Large Scale oyster reef
Dunes and beach berm
high school students in the active restoration and management of the NYC Harbor, CONSTRUCTED REEFS
PS Barnegat Bay Wetlands
from biological inventory to maritime job training. All strategies offer opportunities to See DREDGE WETLANDS
engage local schools in building resiliency within a community. We will work with the Long Island Sound Wetlands
See DREDGE WETLANDS
Harbor School to integrate scalable activities into the local curriculum, from oyster Emergency
gardening to reef building, that build maritime knowledge and preparedness at the Response Center/
Communication TIDAL FLATS
neighborhood scale. Hot Spot/
Sebago
Canoe Club Off Grid Energy
Source

JB Science Center
Satellite Floating
Library DREDGE WETLANDS
Inner Harbor Breakwaters
See HABITAT BREAKWATERS
ARTHUR KILL
Public School 47 A Train
TRIBUTARY SCHOOLS Floating
Classrooms

SCHOOLS
FRICTION FORESTS
Bayswater
Kayak/Canoe
Kayak Launch/ Subway Far

+
JAMAICA BAY Jamaica Bay Modified Shallowing,
TRIBUATARY SCHOOLS BBQ Place Rockaway
NORTHERN See BAY NOURISHMENT and HABITAT BREAKWATER
BARNEGAT HS
TRIBUTARY SCHOOLS

SPAT Fish Cleaning ABSORPTIVE EDGES

Station/
SUBSTRATE
Gear Rental/
School Cluster/ A Train Bait & Tackle
Floyd Water Sports/ Shops/
Bennett Floating Pools/ Seasonal Food
Field Science Stations Market Stalls Raritan Bay Breakwaters
PS 183 See HABITAT BREAKWATERS
GOWANUS BAY HABITAT BREAKWATERS
TRIBUTARY SCHOOLS
RARITAN BAY
TRIBUTARY SCHOOLS
Beach Channel HS

The layered approach Regulatory environment PARTNER with agencies, organizations and their existing projects. Build capacity
of existing ongoing restoration and coastal protection efforts by groups already on
the ground. Enhancements of existing projects can be easier to achieve than start-
Our project aims to reintroduce a layered system of interventions, amplifying protec- more resilient, more educative, more engaging, and ultimately safer. The following RESTORE historic habitats. Prioritize restoration/enhancement to degraded habitat and ing from scratch and interagency partnerships can facilitate faster and less compli-
tive ecosystems along the waterfronts of the New York Inner Harbor and Staten Is- three boards detail what these systems are, how they work, and how they might protection of high quality/critical habitat. From a regulatory perspective it is much easier cated regulatory review.
land, Jamaica Bay, Barnegat Bay, Piermont, and the Hackensack River. They are living most effectively be deployed. to restore than to create.
systems that must be maintained and cultivated, as this is their ultimate strength. COUPLE needed inputs with outputs of existing projects. Supply materials needed
They build upon upland adaptation mechanisms already in place vertical retreat, Recognizing that these strategies may seem new, unusual, or even contradictory to MITIGATE for other projects. Capitalize on and integrate with compensatory mitigation for with outputs from other ongoing projects. Beneficially reuseing dredge material
infrastructure upgrades, emergency response protocals. They have the ability to pos- many current practices, they will inevitably face regulatory hurdles in implementa- other recovery efforts and ongoing or planned infrastructure projects. Large infrastruc- from USACE Operation and Maintenance Program is a prime opportunity, but reuse
itively impact more traditional hard solutions under design in many neighborhoods tion. Thus, the design strategies must be coupled with approaches to local, state ture projects often require environmental mitigation for potentially detrimental effects, / recycling of materials for reef construction is as well.
for example offshore reefs can reduce the design height of an on-shore revetment. and federal regulations and permitting requirements that can leverage existing reg- which these strategies could provide.
Many coastal protection infrastructures are mono-functional, linear, and fragile in the ulatory frameworks, capitalize on ongoing programs and shepherd these projects PILOT projects for protective habitat creation. Use pilot projects to identify and test
face of climate change. We believe that dispersed techniques have site-specific im- through permitting and review processes. ENHANCE ecosystem performance. Maximize habitat heterogeneity to demonstrate hab- opportunities. The urgent need for effective, implementable and affordable coastal
pacts while incrementally building enhanced cumulative effects that ultimately are itat and water quality benefits. Illustrating measurable improvements in environmental protection measures has opened up new opportunities for accessing and leverag-
quality and ecosystem performance according to existing metrics can be used to justify ing expertise and funding for innovative coastal projects, particularly those with
the benefits of and thus investment in these strategies. co-benefits.
NYSDEC / USEPA NYC/NYS/NJ DOT
Brownfield, NPL, RCRA screen Existing public ROW
USFWS
NYDCP/NJDEP NYS/NYCEDC NYCDPR/NJDEP/NYDEC Endangered species
Coastal Zone Management Property rights Existing public ROW
Waterfront Revitalization program NMFS
Habitat requirements: essential fish habitat, seasonal restritions

ADAPT Floodable
first floor RESTORE PILOT PARTNER
MITIGATE COUPLE ENHANCE
Urban dune

Habitat Breakwater
Dredge wetland
High ground
development
Storm water
Tidal pool
storage
Oyster reef

Borrow pit filling

Constructed reef

USCG
Clearances, notices
NYSDEC NYSDOT/NYCDOT/NJDOT USCG
Soil invesitgation - historic fill may be contaminated Non-federal channels Clearances, notices
SHPO (section 106) NYSDEC / NYCDEP/NJDEP USACE
Made land/historic fill requires archeologic investigation Dredge and fill permits Dredge and fill permits (3+ miles offshore)
HABITAT BREAKWATERS CONSTRUCTED REEFS
BIOLOGY + INFRASTRUCTURE SUBTIDAL HABITATS FOR WAVE ATTENUATION
Habitat Breakwaters reduce risk in shoreline communities by BREAKWATERS WITH ENHANCED EDGES Constructed Reefs break waves at the seafloor, reducing wave producing oyster garden to a neighborhood association seeding a ECONCRETE UNITS
absorbing wave energy and catalyzing the growth of protective velocity and heights on-shore. Fully subtidal, constructed reefs constructed reef with spat on shell. Reefs improve water quality
ecosystems. A wave-breaking face composed of interlocking rock reduce a smaller proportion of a wave than breakwaters but more and create shoreline destinations for fishermen and crabbers by
and ecological concrete units extends above the waters surface closely mimic historic ecosystems characteristic of the NY Harbor. encouraging upwelling, bringing nutrients and plankton to the
and supports the emergence of a protected ecological culture in Constructed reefs are often composed of interlocking rock, a waters surface, attracting fish and other larger maritime species. Recycled SIMS glass
its lee. This protected face slopes below the tidal range, creating structural matrix that is able to withstand the impacts of Hurricane
an undulating edge of shallow and deeper water that forms a force waves. Voids within the rock structure become ideal feeding Additional habitat
diversity of niche habitats, such as salt marshes, water cleansing and resting places for small and large fish. Precast ecological
oyster-beds, mud flats, and colonial bird nesting sites. Typically OFFSHORE
concrete REEF units and tide pools made from a low pH
breakwater
located less than half a mile from the shoreline, habit breakwaters Quarry stone substrate mix designed for marine recruitment - can also act as a protective
create calm, slow water zones that allow safer interaction with matrix and substrate for biological life. Over time, the structural
the water during typical days as well as disasters. The typical integrity of the reef improves, as oysters and mussels biogenically
Econcrete to support marine
coastal breakwater cross-section is re-designed to host biological biological assemblages such
build strength through the accretion of calcium carbonate. Schools
growth and restoration, reduce the velocity and erosive force of Embedded constructed tidepools as oysters, mussels, sponges and communities can be reef stewards at a variety of scales
and tube worms
waves, and protect fragile shorelines and critical natural systems. from a middle school classroom monitoring a spat (juvenile oyster)
Used alone or in combination with other coastal protection
techniques, breakwaters can layer up with beach nourishment
and dune building strategies, which together can reduce heights 1/2 MILE TO SHORELINE
WAVE ACTION
of on-shore structural solutions such as revetments and seawalls
Surge water level
reconnecting us with our waterfront. New waterfront access
portals become places to view, garden, and enjoy the cleaner, Mean sea level + SLR
safer, more richly textured and more accessible landscapes
Mean sea level
enabled by this hybrid eco-infrastructure.

1/2 MILE WAVE ACTION

Surge water level
Mean sea level + SLR
Mean sea level

Tidal flats Oyster reef restoration Filter rock Armor rock Econcrete breakwater

Rock toe/ scour apron Geotube core with dredge fill/ sand
Oyster reef restoration ECONcrete armor units Subtidal constructed reef ECONcrete armor units Fishing grounds Rock toe/ scour apron

OPPORTUNITY: OPPORTUNITY: OPPORTUNITY: REGIONAL REEF NETWORKS OPPORTUNITY:

INNER HARBOR ROCKAWAY PENINSULA, NYC PIERMONT, NY Living, growing, breakwaters can be linked at the harbor scale, STATEN ISLAND, NYC
helping advance Hudson Raritan oyster restoration efforts by The Harbor School
Habitat breakwaters in the Inner Har- Habitat breakwaters can reduce damaging wave action at the Coney The waterfront community of Piermont suffered from offering multiple sites for reef substrate placement. The more Constructed reefs along the seaward edge of Staten
bor are located on remnant shallow Island shoreline and can work to reduce the required heights of planned wave and floating debris damage during Sandy given its protected Inner Harbor can be used as a proving grounds for Island break waves below the waters surface, reducing
water areas outside of primary ship- revetments and reinforced dune systems along the shoreline. location along the widened Hudson River. Habitat break- small wave mitigation and concept testing, as a demonstration velocities and wave heights at the shoreline. Unlike the
ping channels and close to ongoing waters are sited within historic oyster bed locations and grounds for schools of the region, and as a spat source for habitat breakwaters scenairo, constructed reefs would
oyster restoration initiatives at The x NY ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that the Rockaway Peninsula oriented to buffer marinas and homes from wave damage. oyster recruitment throughout the bay. . remain completely below the waterline and would not be
Harbor School on Governors Island Harbor School breakwaters reduced waves at Coney Island by 0.25ft - 1ft (10-30%). visible from the shore. While their wave reduction impacts
and the Bay Ridge Flats. Breakwa- ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that the Piermont are reduced, they more closely mimic the historic oyster
+ Inner Harbor reefs once present at this location and are compatible
ters reduce wave action at significant x P.S. 225 breakwaters reduced wave heights by 1.25 ft (37%) along
maritime industrial areas and the x P.S. 188 Fish cleaning x Kingsborough the shoreline. Proving Grounds with the coastal protection measures under planning
historic waterfront neighborhoods of station College by the US Army Corps of Engineers. See also HABITAT
Red Hook. 12% Wave reduction Protective breakwaters BREAKWATERS.
Floating 17% Wave reduction 4% wave reduction
ADCIRC modeling with Hurricane- 17% Wave reduction ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that the Staten
x Port of classroom + Rockaway Inlet Island constructed reefs modeled at 1m height from the On-shore friction
Donna shows that the breakwaters
+ Coney Island sea bed had a small to moderate effect (0.25 ft-1.5 ft , or forests
reduced waves at the Inner Harbor Bayonne
Channel Tappan 5-27%) on wave heights. A small increase (1 increase) in
shoreline by 0.5-1.5ft (15-45%). In
some areas flooding was reduced by Zee Marina flood elevation was shown in the western Raritan Bay and
1-2. requires further study. Trail head

Oyster reef restoration Reduced wave setup

Wetland restoration
7% wave reduction
portal
+ Kill Van Kull Protective breakwaters x School network
37% Wave reduction
+ Anchorage + Spat dispersal
+ Piermont Marsh
Channel
32% Wave reduction

Reef rumble strip

11% wave reduction

x Staten Island reefs
and breakwaters
OPPORTUNITY: + Raritan Bay

STATEN ISLAND, NYC Fish monitoring

stations
The plan and rendering below show an expanded network x Historic oyster
of habitat breakwaters along the coast of Staten Island, x Mansion Marina bed location
one of New York Citys most exposed and vulnerable
communities. Combined with inland freshwater wetland
GREAT KILLS
water capture, coastal maritime forest planting, dune
building, and tidal flat restoration, this necklace of POP 73,700 NY / NY
ecological infrastructure can reduce damaging wave Baykeepers
action along the shoreline while working with ongoing
resilinecy efforts currently being planned by the US Army Fish cleaning station
Corps of Engineers. See also CONSTRUCTED REEFS. x St. Joseph by the
Sea High School 1-4 Wave reduction
ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows a very strong
reduction in waves (1-4 ft) along the Staten Island
shoreline. In select zones, an increase in flooding (0.3ft)
inshore of the breakwaters occurred, which requires
further design refinement and study. St. Joseph HS
reef restoration Tidal flat restoration

Habitat breakwaters
+ Existing historic
TOTTENVILLE, NY
oyster bed location
POP 13,400
Tottenville Marina Protected waters
10 min. walk

Atlantic Marina
1-4 Wave reduction
+ Confluence House Park
and CRP Restoration Site
+ Existing dredged channel
Kayak
club Habitat breakwaters
Public water access

Marina

Tidal flat

Wetland
Friction Forest
Breakwater
Tidal flat restoration
N
0 .25 .5 1 2 miles

LIVING, GROWING BREAKWATERS

LAYERED STRATEGIES: Constructed Reefs, Habitat
Breakwaters, Water hubs, Friction Forests, Dunes

BUILD ON EXISTING INITIATIVES: USACE Upper Reach

Proposals; NYC SIRR recommendations; Comprehensive
Restoration Plan sites for coastal protection assesment;
Tottenville Conference House Park site.

Staten Island & the Inner NY Harbor were hard hit by Sandy.
Once protected by a wide shelf and series of oyster reefs,
the south shore of Staten Island in particular remains
exposed to wave action and coastal erosion. Our layered
strategy introduces protective breakwaters and interior tidal
flats that can dissipate wave energy and slow the water,
while rebuilding sustainable oyster populations within the
Harbor. Working with locally impacted communities such as
Tottenville, a range of alternative futures can be developed
that are effective, resilient, and complimentary to ongoing
shoreline work in the area. We propose to link the oyster
restoration breakwaters at the Inner Harbor and Staten
Island shorelines as part of a larger educational and oyster
recruitment effort at the harbor scale.

SCAPE / LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE PLLC

Parsons Brinckerhoff
Stevens Institute
Ocean and Coastal Consulting
SeaArc Consulting
The Harbor School
LOT-EK
MTWTF
Paul Greenberg
DREDGE WETLANDS ABSORPTIVE EDGES
MARSH-BUILDING MARINAS PROTECT, DIVERSIFY, ACCESS
Coastal wetlands can absorb surge waters and reduce wave impacts Much of the regions seawall and bulkhead infrastructures are In the urban context even small expansions of the typical vertical
within coastal communities. Severely reduced from their historic ecologically damaging, limit access and experience to the water, bulkhead wall can provide opportunities to diversity and increase
footprint, these bay-side ecologies are threatened by development, and were destroyed or structurally impaired during Hurricane maritime life: micro textures at the scale of centimeters cast into
erosion, and sea level rise inundation. Innovative strategies for Sandy. Absorptive edges work to introduce shallow slopes into ecological concrete panels create a variety of conditions for the
Marina symbiosis Dredge application
sediment replacement and nourishment are needed to maintain
previously bulkheaded and abrupt transitions with the water. recruitment of marine organisms such as oysters, mussels, and
and expand their protective footprints as time progresses. Bay
Extending the footprint of the protective infrastructure upland, sponges, which in turn attract a more diverse array of aquatic life.
side dredging provides one potential source of sediment for marsh
restoration. Federally maintained recreational channels, such as the the absorptive edge expands the interface between land and At the larger scale, constructed abrasion tables and tide pools
BALANCING THE water, creating more surface area for friction plantings and capture water to form niche maritime habitats, while biologically
DREDGE WETLANDS
Intracoastal Waterway, provide sources for clean dredge material SEDIMENT CYCLE
that can be used for intermittent, larger-scale wetland restoration. wave dissipation, mimicking the function of the beach berm growing structural strength over time. Heights of absorptive
At the local scale, regulatory structures can be streamlined to and dune in barrier island ecosystems. Edges in high velocity edges can be set through a community design process, and can
ABRASION EDGE
allow family-owned marinas to nourish wetlands adjacent to wave environments are highly erodible, so absorptive edges be designed to either keep the water out (with all associated
their facilities, recycling sediment within the sediment shed and are ecologically engineered with a range of materials including risks) or to attenuate waves and prevent erosion of the shoreline.
further protecting their own waterfront facilities from damaging reinforced ecological concrete, stone, gabions, and geotextiles. Combined with water access get-downs, tidal steps, and overlooks,
wave action. In New Jersey, combined disposal facilities created
The absorptive edge is designed to mimic coastal ecosystems, absorptive edges can provide an ecologically rich connection to
in the 1970s offer additional sources of clean sand and sediment
including barrier islands, dunes, spartina marshlands, abrasion the water for shoreline communities.
for wetland rehabilitation close to the restoration sites, helping
balance off-kilter sediment budgets. Successful local pilot sites for tables, or subtidal reefs.
Wetland adaptation
dredge wetland building exist within New Yorks Jamaica Bay and
the Baltimore Harbor. Re-thinking sediment cycles at the bay-scale
could have a dramatic impact on our regions protective wetland
network, while easing the economic burden of dredge management
for local small business owners.

Surge water level

Mean sea level + SLR
Mean sea level
Inhabitable habitat ledges
Friction forest
New wetland dredge building
Wetland restoration Constructed abrasion tables
Thin dredge sediment Recreational small channel
application Living shorelines Reef restoration and oyster gardening
Small dredge technology Intracoastal waterway
Restored SAV beds Dredge hole filling

OPPORTUNITY: OPPORTUNITY: OPPORTUNITY: OPPORTUNITY:

BARNEGAT BAY, NJ LONG ISLAND SOUND HOWARD BEACH, NYC PS 146
ROCKAWAYS BACK BAY EDGE BROAD CHANNEL
Cattus Island POP 3,000 (approx.)

+
More than 450,000 people live within the Barnegat Bay Constructed wetlands and limited breakwaters around The neighborhood of Howard Beach was dramatically impacted by In combination with a larger bay nourishment approach, the hard seawall edge
Education Center
watershed, with a large percentage dependant upon the Long Island Sound use existing shallow water Hurricane Sandy. Spring Creek, an adjacent freshwater inlet which is of the Rockaways back bay offers an opportunity to repair a degrading and
the recreational and economic assets of the bay and zones to reduce wave action and surge within Queens part of the Hudson Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan, fragile infrastructure and introduce new access points to the water.
beach landscape. and the Bronx. is being studied as a potential link between ecosystem restoration Tidal flats restoration
and protective ecology.
Over time, Barnegat Bay has lost 28% of its coastal ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that the Long Shallowed channel
wetlands to development, and over 70% of the Island Sound wetlands and breakwaters reduced flood
water heights slightly (one inch) and reduced wave

+
shoreline has been developed or altered. Present and Chabad of
future risks to coastal wetland and shallow water heights by 1ft-1.5ft (25%-50%). Surface elevation
tables Howard Beach
ecosystems include nutrient contamination, mosquito
ditching, and sea level rise. Recreational boating traffic SEASIDE HEIGHTS Breakwaters
and intensified storms create waves, eroding already- POP 2,892 Absorptive multi-use edges Wetland restoration Absorptive stepped edge
diminished wetland footprints and slowly shrinking
+

20 % Reduction in water level

these protective systems over time. Toms River High Spring Creek wetlands ROCKAWAY
+

School East
Wetland restoration BEACH
Dredge wetland building looks to national examples
Outdoor classroom POP 13,449
of beneficial dredge reuse to find models for stopping
wetland subsidence in Barnegat Bay. Clean sediment Community Childrens
is ecologically valuable, as Barnegat Bay is sediment- Beach Channel

+
Oyster Gardening recreation center Queens Borough
starved due to intensified development and the Bird watching High School
alteration of hydrological cycles. Using this material Soundview Kayak launch Public Library
point
to replenish existing wetlands, build new protective Oyster Reef
buffers, restore tidal flats, and refresh submerged Absorptive multi-use edges
aquatic vegetation beds aids the long term preservation Tidal pools Absorptive stepped edge Water quality
of this valuable ecosystem. The plan and rendering S Brother Island monitorig station
below show a combination of dredge wetland Restored tidal flats Fishing point September 11
restoration, strategic breakwaters, and absorptive edges Memorial Park
Berkeley
as layered strategies that will lead to a less fragile bay SEASIDE
ecosystem and economy. See also ABSORPTIVE EDGE Harbor Marina
and BAY NOURISHMENT. Fishing Friction forest ROCKAWAY
OCEAN GATE hub PARK
ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that a Rockaway dune
combination of dunes, breakwaters, and wetlands in POP 2,023
Barnegat Bay reduced flood water heights in many Good Luck
bay-side areas by 0.4ft (15%). Waves were reduced or
eliminated around the breakwaters.
Point Marina
OPPORTUNITY: Wetland restoration
Flushing Creek
BARNEGAT BAY
Protective dunes WETLANDS, NJ
Berkeley Township
Elementary School The wetlands of Barnegat Bay
are eroding due to recreational
+

boat traffic, changing hydrologic

Wetland systems, and increased storm
BAYVILLE
restoration intensity. Living, absorptive edges
POP 9,193 Breakwaters
learning center can help mitigate this loss over
time, and help define extents
for wetland restoration using
+

Claire B Worth reclaimed dredge material.

Elementary School
Wetland restoration Micro-dredge site

Barnegat Bay
Sailing School
Fish cleaning hub
+

Lanoka Harbor
Elementary School Ocean Beach
12 % Reduction in water level
Good Luck BARNEGAT BAY REMADE
Point Marina
Marina
LAYERED STRATEGIES: Dredge Wetlands, Constructed Reefs,
Habitat Breakwaters, Water Hubs, Friction Forests, Tidal Flat
FORKED RIVER Wetland Restoration, Bay Nourishment
POP 5,244 restoration
learning center
BUILD ON EXISTING INITIATIVES: Combined Dredge Disposal
+

Forked River facility revaluation plan by State of NJ; Barnegat Bay

Elementary School
Partnership living shoreline proposals; NJ Futures Initiatives;
Micro-dredge
Recreational channel dredging
monitoring station Public water access
Tidal flat restoration
Marina Like Jamaica Bay, Barnegat Bay is a beloved recreational
Restored tidal flats
Confined Disposal ground with hundreds of thousands of people living directly
Micro-dredge from CDFs Facility (CDF) on its constructed edges. Dredging, filling and pollution
10 min.
walk Tidal flat have endangered its shallow productive topography and sea
Sand Beach Wetland level rise threatens to turn what was a rich marine mosaic
Harbor of land and water into an exposed open and flat environs
Breakwater
N devoid of the lifestyle qualities that drew many there in
the first place and that have served as de facto absorptive
0 .5 1 2 4 miles
Friction areas along bay infrastructure. A combination of green/ blue strategies
in the form of tiered, absorptive edges embedded with
tidepools and bird/ fish habitat structures, will help
regenerate lost ecological systems, recalibrate sediment
cycles, and step down risk for waterfront communities. Man-
made sediment cycles will be linked with natural cycles,
helping ensure a productive and resilient bay landscape for
future generations.

SCAPE / LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE PLLC

Parsons Brinckerhoff
Stevens Institute
Ocean and Coastal Consulting
SeaArc Consulting
The Harbor School
LOT-EK
MTWTF
Paul Greenberg
 OPPORTUNITY: JAMAICA BAY Emergeny

BAY NOURISHMENT
EXTREME SHALLOWING HOWARD response
BEACH, QUEENS center
Jamaica Bay is one of the nations most urbanized estuaries
-a low coastal elevation zone with a high, vulnerable POP 26,150
population density. It is largely part of the National Park 42% Reduction in water level
system and serves as critical wildlife habitat and breeding
grounds for hundreds of species of fish and birds. Its formerly Escape route
shallow marine bathymetry has been drasticlly altered by STARRETT CITY

SCALES OF SHALLOWING deep dredging and the ongoing effects of nitrification from
waste water treatment plants.
POP 14,620

45% Reduction
JFKin water level
AIRPORT
Deep water dredge channels offer points of entry for water
into the bay, directing high energy flows of water towards CANARSIE, BROOKLYN
bay-side neighborhoods. Restoring the bay to its former
Beach and bay ecosystems are intricately linked in coastal EXISTING SHIPPING CHANNELS IN JAMAICA BAY water depth would help reduce flood risks for waterfront
neighborhoods while catalyzing new ecological opportunities.
POP 84,000

environments where water and sediment dynamics interact in an However, shallowing presents challenges for critical
Large scale shipping channels and historic borrow pits increased the volume of the bay over time. In a storm
ever-changing interplay. In urban environments, shifting shorelines event this water mass amplifies the destructive force of waves and surge.
infrastructure such as dredge and fire boat access, certain Tidal flats restoration
types of recreational vessels, and species currently using the
become fixed through the insertion of static infrastructure, deepwater portions of the bay. See ABSORPTIVE EDGES and Kayak launch

requiring the artificial replenishment and nourishment of coastal DREDGE WETLANDS. Wetland restoration
Dredge channel shallowing
beach berms and dune systems. These systems are actively ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that the shallowing of
the bay to 2m below MSL, tidal flat and wetland restoration,
designed to prevent breaching, leading to a loss of sediment maritime forest restoration, and dune construction at the BERGEN BEACH
replenishment on the bay side, leaving estuarine ecosystems Rockaways led to significant reduction in flood water levels
BROAD
within the north and south sides of the Rockaway peninsula, Emergency staging area
starved of sediment, the basic substrate for growth. Continued sea as well as flood water levels on the west side (2 ft) and east communication hot spot
CHANNEL
side (3 ft) of the bay. Waves were reduced by 0.5ft-1ft or POP 3000
level rise combined with the hydrological and physical impacts eliminated completely. Water levels were slightly increased
of bay-side urbanization, dredge channel creation, maritime (by inches) in other areas, including offhshore zones in
NY Harbor, Raritan Bay, and Coney Island. Further study is 32% Reduction in water level
traffic, and water pollution mean that the salt marshes and tidal required. Dredge channel shallowing
JB science
ecosystems of many east coast bays are at risk of disappearing. center satellite FAR ROCKAWAY
100% Reduction in water level

Shallow estuarine systems have significant protective functions

Kayak launch
beyond wave energy dissipation. In bay and riparian systems with Fishing gear rental
narrow inlets and shallow waters, hurricane force storm surges ARVERNE
are partially deflected by the shallow water zones, allowing only
some of the water in. Channel dredging over time has formed
vectors for fast-moving water, directing it into bays and bay-shore
27% Reduction in water level
neighborhoods developed within the floodplain. However the RETIRED CHANNELS AND LARGE-SCALE SHALLOWING
Protective dunes
economic and recreational impacts of the shipping channels are CONEY ISLAND BELLE HARBOR
By narrowing and shallowing the inlet into the bay, a reduced amount of water is pushed in during a storm.
not to be ignored in many cases these are the primary access In addition the retirement of dredge channels and active island building contribute to a reduction of surge
points for bay use and activation and multiple alternatives need to and wave height. Bay scale shallowing has multiple impacts community-wide, both positive and negative. Two Dredge channel shallowing Fish cleaning station
examples of shallowing are explored here.
be investigated.

As Atlantic beaches are nourished, a concurrent strategy for

interior bay nourishment should be considered at the regional
scale, to support and replenish shallow water ecological
communities and reduce flooding in neighborhoods. Dredge BREEZY POINT

wetland restoration, tidal flat expansion, reef building, dredge

channel decommissioning and realignments are strategies that
could combine to create the revitalized bays and estuaries of the
N
future. 0 .25 .5 1 2 miles

OPPORTUNITY: JAMAICA BAY PS 146

MODIFIED SHALLOWING
PS 207
The modified shallowing approach looks at restoring
underutilized deepwater channels into shallow water habitat. 18% Reduction in water level
OPPORTUNITY: Cattus Island OPPORTUNITY: Harmon Cove Marina Historic footprints of tidal marshlands, tidal flats, and shallow Friction forest
BARNEGAT BAY Education Center
HACKENSACK Approx. 5% Reduction in water level
water areas are restored where possible, and deepwater
channels that remain are narrowed. A single deepwater
PS 346
UNION CITY, NJ channel is preserved that serves the wastewater treatment
Shallowing of all Barnegat Bay The Hackensack/Meadowlands SECAUCUS, NJ plants, Howard Beach fire station, and JFK airport. Even in Floodable stage
areas deeper than 4 feet was landscape has historically been POP 66,455
POP 16,264 the modified scenario, significant reductions in water levels 21% Reduction in water level
tested as a strategy. Recreational 9% Reduction in water level a dumping ground and zone of are visible. See ABSORPTIVE EDGES and DREDGE WETLANDS.
boating and intercoastal waterway heavy industry. Over the long + Wildlife Refuge
Trail head
access would be limited. While term, underutilized ship channels ADCIRC modeling with Donna shows that the combination
shallowing was effective, other that may not be needed could be of modified shallowing, minimal breakwaters, and dune
strategies allow for a greater retired and shallowed as part of a construction at the Rockaways yielded significant reduction PS 272
diversity of recreational vessels. large-scale restoration effort of the PS 115
TOMS RIVER in flood heights within the north and south sides of the
See DREDGE WETLANDS. Hackensack. Narrowing the path Kayak launch Rockaway peninsula, as well as flood water levels on the
POP 89,706 Channel shallowing Tidal flats restoration
of water reduces flooding along west side (0.8 ft) and east side (1.5 ft) of the bay. Waves were
ADCIRC modeling with Donna the tidal rivers edges and down to reduced by 0.5ft-1ft but were increased in some zones. Flood
Hackensack River
shows that the combination of Newark Bay. water levels were slightly increased (inches) at the Cross Bay
shallowing and dune building Shallowing
Parkway. Further study is required.
reduced flood water levels in Fishing ADCIRC modeling with Donna Wetland restoration
many areas by 0.4 ft (20%) with no hub shows that shallowing in the lower
PS 312
apparent increases in other zones. reach reduced flood water levels HOBOKEN, NJ
Wave heights were reduced by 0.5 0.2 ft-0.5 ft (10%) in most areas. POP 50,005 PS 236 Dredge channel preservation
ft - 1ft and eliminated completely Flood heights were reduced 0.2 ft
in portions of the bay. (3%) in the heavily populated New-
ark Bay. A small area received Franklin L. Williams
+

new flooding and wave action due Public School Public School 47
Wetland restoration Seasonal food
to water overtopping the channel, Floating classroom Market stalls
further study and modification is Public School 23
+

12% Reduction in water level

+

Claire B Worth required.

PS 104
Elementary School Nature trail
Passaic River + St Aloysius High
+

Barnegat Bay Science and

School
Sailing School Resilience PS 197
Center Kayak launch
Habitat breakwater PS 105
OCEAN GATE 25% Reduction in water level JERSEY CITY, NJ PS 106
POP 2,023 POP 247,597
PS 183

Berkeley Township 10 min. Beach Channel

James F Murray
+

walk
Elementary School Elementary School 38 Floating pool/ High School
+ Newark Bay
science station
+

Wetland Tidal flat restoration 7% Reduction in water level

restoration
learning center

Dredge channel narrowing PS 114

Wetland restoration

Protective dunes

FORKED RIVER Camp site

Public water access
POP 5,244
Marina

Tidal flat

Wetland

Breakwater

N
0 .25 .5 1 2 miles

GARDENING THE BAY

LAYERED STRATEGIES: Bay Nourishment, Dredge Wetlands,
Absorptive Edges, Constructed Reefs, Habitat Breakwaters,
Water hubs, Tidal Flat restoration, Friction Forests

BUILD ON EXISTING INITIATIVES: USACE study and

pilot wetlands; CRP work with DPR; SIRR report
recommendations; NY Rising community reconstruction
program; Jamaica Bay Resiliency Institute and Gateway
Regional Management Plan; Community Marsh Planting at
Rulers Bar.

Jamaica Bay is one of the nations most urbanized estuaries

-a low coastal elevation zone with a high, vulnerable
population density. It is largely part of the National Park
system and serves as critical wildlife habitat & breeding
grounds for hundreds of species of fish and birds. Its
formerly shallow marine bathymetry has been drastically
altered by deep dredging and the ongoing effects of
nitrification from waste water treatment plants. This
has threatened its value as precious intertidal marine
habitat, and moreover has made residents and transport
infrastructure in its environs more exposed to wave action
& flooding, both of which will exacerbate the steady threat
SCAPE / LANDSCAPE of a rising sea. More than any other zone, Jamaica Bay
ARCHITECTURE PLLC
signifies how we can shift our approach to resiliency, and
Parsons Brinckerhoff offers a site with rich potential to test a range of different
Stevens Institute strategies depicted here both onshore and within the
Ocean and Coastal Consulting
SeaArc Consulting bays disappearing marshes and shoals. Jamaica Bay will
The Harbor School be home to a signature new Resiliency Institute, where
LOT-EK
MTWTF we can contribute to ongoing research efforts and green/
Paul Greenberg blue infrastructure upgrades - aligning habitat regeneration
goals and coastal protection co-benefits.