Innovative erosion control involving the beneficial use of dredge material, indigenous vegetation and landscaping along the Lake Erie Shoreline

Abstract

Current conventional erosion protection techniques are both costly and can detract from the natural environment. The purpose of this paper is to describe how Presque Isle State Park, located along the shoreline of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania, implemented a low-cost and innovative erosion protection project. Erosion within the back bay area of the park threatened the park's heavily used multi-purpose trail. With a matching grant from the Great Lakes Commission, the park developed a plan that placed riprap off the shoreline of the trail, anchored downed trees from the park in the riprap to function as timber groins, and then filled in the area between the trail and the riprap with sand dredged from a local sandbar. Geotextile and wattles were then positioned in the fill to aid in vegetative rooting. After placement of the geotextile and the wattles, indigenous vegetation was transplanted in the newly created area. Completion of the project resulted in several additional hectares of stabilized vegetation while providing an economical, natural, and aesthetic alternative to conventional shoreline erosion protection. The project affords a valuable example to other parks and recreational facilities along the Great Lakes faced with the challenge of minimizing erosion and maintaining a natural appearance.