LIVING SHORELINE UPDATE
By Bill McGrath
Photo taken 9/12/2011
Two weeks ago hurricane Irene wrecked havoc on our living shoreline. When the eye passed over I quickly ran over to Allen Road Beach to inspect the damage. Allen Road was barely passable with a foot of water covering the road. I made it through only to find that most of the biologs had disintegrated or were missing. The living shoreline was entirely covered by about 18 inches of water. Even though it was covered with water, I could clearly see that ALL of the vegetation in the living shoreline was completely sheared off at the surface from the fierce wave turbulence.
The photo above was taken about two weeks after total destruction. It clearly shows amazing re-growth from protected rhizomes still intact under the Coir matting. The 470 rhizomes I inventoried before hurricane Irene were still completely intact. This should insure vigorous growth next spring after the spartina goes dormant during the winter.
The above photo shows what remains of the upland row of biologs. Notice the far background. It shows how far the living shoreline has contributed to the beach. The sand trapped by the living shoreline would have wound up in Amherst Inlet. The rhizomes are still intact under the Coir matting that is covered over with sand previously trapped by the biologs.
This photo looking south, also shows how the living shoreline increased the beach by trapping the sand before it winds up in Amherst Inlet.
Photo taken 9/12/2011
This photo shows the re-generation of the spartina after being completely sheared off at the surface by hurricane Irene.
Photo taken 9/12/2011
This photo shows the erosion from hurricane Irene along the hardpan scarping. A small amount of the upland American dune grass along the face fell victim to the storm.
The phragmites is aggressively taking over the American dune grass which will be complete in about 3 to 4 years. Hurricane Irene exposed the extremely aggressive phragmites rhizomes along the eroded scarping.
