Guidance for considering the use of living shorelines

Living shoreline is a broad term that encompasses a range of shoreline stabilization techniques along estuarine coasts, bays, sheltered coastlines, and tributaries. A living shoreline has a footprint that is made up mostly of native material. It incorporates vegetation or other living, natural “soft” elements alone or in combination with some type of harder shoreline structure (e.g., oyster reefs or rock sills) for added stability. Living shorelines maintain continuity of the natural land–water interface and reduce erosion while providing habitat value and enhancing coastal resilience. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) encourages the use of living shorelines as a shoreline stabilization technique along sheltered coasts (i.e., coasts not exposed to open ocean wave energy) to preserve and improve habitats and their ecosystem services at the land–water interface. Toward this end, NOAA encourages early coordination across multiple scales of government and with other entities outside the government to develop shoreline management approaches that lead to the best shoreline stabilization options for a particular site. 

This guidance addresses the following three questions:

1. What to consider when selecting appropriate techniques in a given location to stabilize shorelines while conserving coastal and marine resources.
2. How NOAA is encouraging the use of living shorelines as a shoreline stabilization approach through existing programs, training, partnerships, funding, and technical assistance.
3. How to navigate NOAA’s potential regulatory (consultation and permitting) and programmatic roles in living shoreline project planning.