Meeting On Ocean City Living Shoreline Project July 24

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City officials will host a public meeting on its living shoreline project on Tuesday, July 24, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the main council chambers at city hall, 861 Asbury Avenue.

A living shoreline connects land to water to stabilize the shoreline, reduce erosion and enhance coastal resilience, including preventing flooding. It incorporates natural vegetation or other living, natural ‘soft elements alone or in combination with some type of harder shoreline structure, like oyster reefs, rock sills, or anchored large wood for added stability, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This particular project focuses on the restoration and enhancement of the 1978 shoreline on Shooting Island. Shooting Island is a bay island in the Cape May Wetlands Wildlife Management Area in Great Egg Harbor Bay, Cape May County.

The island has seen a significant degradation —including as much as 60 feet of receded land in some places — for more than 80 years, officials said. More than 150 acres of tidal wetlands will be restored and protected.

As part of the project, about 3,200 linear feet of living shoreline rock sill will be built to protect existing marsh and allow for further development of marsh on the island. Additionally, about 1,900 linear feet of living shoreline will be built using oyster habitat components.

Last month, members of the OC Flooding Committee toured a pair of living shoreline projects in Brigantine. Brigantine placed a natural shoreline in front of a bulkhead, and a rocky berm behind the bulkhead, toward the street, according to the Ocean City Gazette. Both sides include soil, sand and plantings. The soil is spongy and porous, and absorbs the water to prevent flooding. West Wildwood and Linwood also have natural shoreline projects in the works.

Patch file photo