Shoreline Planting is another application of living shorelines that is used in low wave energy sites with more gradual slopes. Vegetation-only can be described as the installation of plants and aquatic vegetation along the shore (Gittman et al., 2016).

 

The vegetation can be planted upland, near the toe, or submerged in water to mimic a natural ecosystem in the targeted site. An example of this is shown in Figure 6 below. The roots of the plants help to stabilize the banks as well as absorb the energy from the waves (Gittman et al., 2016).

 

In addition to providing a habitat for the survival and breeding of aquatic life, these natural buffers can also reduce the sediment and contaminants transported via runoff, resulting in improved water quality at the site (Florida Living Shorelines, 2020).

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Decision Matrices Results:

 

Dublin Hollow site: 2.92 / 5.0

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Dam site: 2.97 / 5.0

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Pros:

1.  Good habitat potential

2. Inexpensive

3. Easy to Install