US Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING STRONG ® U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District General Permit for Living Shorelines in Alabama and Mississippi Sandy P. Gibson Project Manager, Coastal Alabama Regulatory Division, Mobile District

BUILDING STRONG ® Living Shoreline General Permit Authority: Sections 10 and 404 Benefits of a Living Shoreline : - Restoration and creation of valuable Essential Fishery Habitat -Creates a natural buffer that absorbs wave energy and reduces erosion while maintaining natural shoreline dynamics - Can be applied across a range of inland and coastal habitats or ecoregions - Preserve, create, or maintains habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species. - Serve as a storage cells for floodwaters and reduces storm surge - Restore and enhance critical feeding and nursery habitat for finfish and shellfish. - Enhances water quality by trapping and filtering surface runoff of pollutants. - Provides aesthetic values by enhanced landscaping

BUILDING STRONG ® Living Shoreline General Permit Authority: Sections 10 and 404 Purpose of the LSGP : Promoting Preservation and Restoration of : DunesProtection and propagation of essential fish habitat Beaches Submerged aquatic vegetation Wetlands Shoreline restoration and nourishment Threatened and Endangered Estuarine and Freshwater Species Critical Habitat Marshes Note: This LSGP cannot be used for large beach restoration projects such as Dauphin Island. Gulf Shores, Orange Beach beaches.

BUILDING STRONG ® Protection locations may extend from the existing shoreline at Mean High Water (Tide) or Ordinary High Water and extend water-ward. Project Authorizations are dependent upon: - Site-specific Conditions (i.e., wave action, velocity, substrate, elevation, habitat, landscape position) - Project purpose and need (if possible, leave the shoreline alone) - Coordination and approval from other jurisdictional agencies (ADCNR, USFWS, NMFS). - Other special considerations (i.e., breeding or nesting season, etc.) Living Shoreline General Permit

BUILDING STRONG ® Living Shoreline General Permit Protection fronting Wetlands and Sensitive Habitats: - No fill will be placed in wetland areas; - Normal hydrologic regime to be maintained in wetland areas - Matching wetland elevations: If scarping has occurred due to scour or scalloping, fill discharges limited to minimum necessary to achieve adjacent wetland elevation. - Gaps in breakwaters: Detached breakwaters should contain an appropriate number of gaps to ensure adequate tidal flushing and shoreline habitat access for marine and terrestrial organisms.

BUILDING STRONG ® Types of Protection should be selected based upon a minimalistic approach - limited in size but adequate enough for protection and take into account natural sediment transport processes. **Mississippi has a drafted 0.25-acre limit to water bottom fill within the Mississippi Sound due to its designation as Gulf Sturgeon Critical Habitat (GSCH). A sliver of GSCH also exists in Alabama, west of Dauphin Island. Material Considerations: - Natural Materials (i.e, root balls, logs, cut brush or biodegradable products) - Oyster Shell and Oyster Shell Support Structures (i.e., bagged shells, reef balls and/or cradles for stability - Concrete - Riprap Living Shoreline General Permit

BUILDING STRONG ® Special Conditions address items including : - State Water Quality and Coastal Zone consistency - State Historic Preservation Office Coordination - ADCNR-State Lands Division Coordination - Riparian Use and Ownership of Accreted Areas - Conditions for Threatened and Endangered Species - Markers and Signage - Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - Compliance Monitoring - Implement and maintain best management practices during construction. Living Shoreline General Permit

BUILDING STRONG ® - Exclusions: - Fill in wetlands including bottomland hardwoods; - Solid structures roughly perpendicular to the shore or bank; - Activities which result in or for purpose of land reclamation; - Activities which creates a hazard to navigation; and - Loose or bagged oyster shell unless project area approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health. Living Shoreline General Permit

BUILDING STRONG ® Private Property Owner Weeks Bay

BUILDING STRONG ® Coffee Island Northeast shoreline - Photo © Mary Kate Stubljar/The Nature Conservancy

BUILDING STRONG ® Swift Tract Eroded Shoreline - Photo © Mary Kate Stubljar/The Nature Conservancy Challenges: What works and what doesn’t? Natural Shoreline Accretion and Waterbottom Ownership Habitat-specific Plant Stock and Species Lists Sediment Transport Processes Biological and Chemical Monitoring Education Outreach

BUILDING STRONG ® CURRENT STATUS - WQ and CZM certification has been issued. - Final Permit language and Decision Documents are being finalized. - Date for Issuance in Alabama: 1 October 2011 Living Shoreline General Permit

BUILDING STRONG ® Superior Public Service Moving Forward

BUILDING STRONG ® QUESTIONS? Corps HQ: District Guidance and Access to Program Information Mobile District: 14