Bank Stabilization: Protecting Our Shorelines

Bank erosion and migration is a natural response of a river system in dynamic equilibrium, defined as a state in which a river frequently adjusts its morphology in response to watershed inputs, while maintaining a balance between erosion and deposition. Anthropogenic impacts or changes in hydrologic regime can disrupt that balance, however, resulting in disproportionate bank erosion. Intervention is often warranted where excessive bank erosion occurs in the vicinity of vital infrastructure. Where appropriate, our bank stabilization designs incorporate bio-engineering techniques that typically combines large wood such as rootwads and logs, stone and native plants to create solutions that dissipate energy and stabilizing banks, while also introducing additional aquatic habitat and refugia.