An extensive construction project underway next to Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary is intended to reduce erosion and support aquatic life — the first project of its kind in Westchester.
The project, called Living Shorelines, uses manmade and natural materials to create a gentle transition between land and water to reduce erosion and support the local ecosystem, according to the Friends of Edith Read. Living Shorelines, also known as living reefs, often use “stabilization measures,” and are designed to be incorporated into the ecosystem.
“For me, one of the most beneficial aspects of this is the monitoring, which happens over the next five years,” said Suzette Lopane, a landscape architect for the county, who is the project manager. “We will be watching over time to see what happens in terms of biodiversity and measuring the growth of aquatic organisms. I have never been involved with a project that uses this approach, and it is very exciting to actually document what happens once these improvements are in place.”
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The project was designed by a team of landscape architects, engineers, and scientists. Lopane has been working with the team from SLR Consulting, a design consultant selected by the county. The $4 million project started in 2021 and is now in its final steps of landscaping and installation.
The county considers the area adjacent to the Edith Read sanctuary ideal for a living shoreline, because of its history and recent devastation. The coastline was partially man-made nearly a century ago, and with frequent storms, is vulnerable to erosion, particularly since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The goal of the project is to restore the shoreline and to prevent future erosion, while also cultivating biodiversity.
The Long Island Sound is rich in aquatic life, and the coastal areas along Edith Read are of particular significance, because their saltwater marshes are home to mollusks, crustaceans, and other species of plants and animals. Oysters play an important role in the Sound. They improve water quality and provide a habitat for other organisms.
The location by Edith Read was identified about 15 years ago by the Westchester Water Conservation District when the group was looking for a place to start a volunteer and educational living shoreline project. No funding was available then, but volunteer support made it possible to do some planting and maintenance in this at-risk area. That project predated Hurricane Sandy, and was smaller in scope.
The volunteer project sparked interest, and became the impetus for the current work, Lopane said. Westchester County doesn’t own much of its coastline — private clubs, residents, and municipalities do — and the vulnerability and restoration history along Edith Read made it an ideal spot. Storms over the last 15 years had caused further destruction, creating a need for the work and an expanded scope.
The initial design for this project began in May 2021 and was funded by the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District. As the design progressed, the county secured addition funding with the help of County Executive George Latimer and the Board of Legislators. By October 2023 the county had the construction funding in place. The project went out to bid shortly thereafter and bids were opened on Nov. 15, 2023. Construction started in late March 2024.
The current project targets three areas — the subtidal water, intertidal marsh, and backshore area. The project supports and promotes life in the water and on land by rebuilding the network of interconnected species. Two types of structures — boulder sills and reef balls — have been installed in the water, building resiliency in the aquatic ecosystem. They play important roles below the water’s surface, where the fish, aquatic plants, shellfish, and mollusks live.
At low tide, the large rock clusters called boulder sills are visible. The Sound has a craggy coast, and natural rock clusters play a role in preventing loss of shoreline. This area lacked protection, and the boulder sills slow the wave action, particularly during storms, protecting the soil on the land.
The reef balls, closer to the shore and completely exposed at low tide, also break up wave action and provide habitat. They are designed specifically for the elevation in the intertidal zone. These dome-like structures with large holes and rough surfaces are meant to mimic an aquatic reef, significantly increasing the surface area where oysters and other animals can build their homes and multiply. These species are important in the marine lifecycle and clearing pollutants and bacteria from the water. Forty-three reef balls have been installed off the short stretch of coast. Lopane expects they may degrade over time and become less noticeable, but will continue to provide structure for a living reef for years to come.
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Back on land, an extensive landscaping project is also restoring the coastline. Before Hurricane Sandy, the area had dunes to protect the sand from migrating away from the beach. With destruction of the dunes and the shoreline overall, the elevation has decreased, leading to more erosion from tides and storms. The landscaping, the final phase of the project, involves adding layers of sand and topsoil above the high tide line to increase elevation. Grasses, shrubs, and trees are to be planted, developing root systems that keep the sand and soil in place. All new plantings will be native species, essential to promoting and sustaining plant and animal life. Marsh grasses, intended to thrive underwater, are to be planted this summer to create an intertidal marsh.
This project took years of teamwork, innovation, and investment in the future. It will serve as a model for other coastlines destroyed by erosion and human activity, in Westchester and beyond.