Community Leadership Paves the Way to Promising Erosion Treatment

Supported by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe, local government, and the North Cove community designed a “dynamic revetment” along the shoreline with rebuilt dunes and placement of cobble berms as part of the local efforts to find effective treatments for severe shoreline erosion, flooding, and sea level rise along Willapa Bay, Washington. The project successfully restored a 3,000-foot dune sevenfold within six years. The restoration of the shoreline aims to ensure safety of coastal businesses, protect shellfish harvesting habitats, preserve up to 816 acres of cranbeery crops, and retain the emergency evacuation route for local residents.