Centreville Wharf Living Shoreline

Centreville Wharf Living Shoreline. a natural solution. What is a "Living Shoreline"? A living shoreline is a non-structural approach to maintain shorelines. Simply put - living shorelines treat the area between land and water in a natural way.

A natural shoreline is a gradual transition between the bank and water's edge. Typically planted with native (plants common to the local area) trees, shrubs and grasses - living shorelines do not end abruptly at water's edge like a common bulkhead. Instead they use gradual slopes, vegetation, and low rock sills to slow wave energy and create habitat for fish, crabs, and other critters that live along this transitional area.

Upland Buffer
Native trees are planted in the buffer to provide shoreline stabilization and erosion control.

Bank Face
Grasses and shrubs are planted along the bank to provide further erosion control and some habitat.

Tidal Marsh and Beach
Wetland plants are placed in this area to provide habitat for nesting terrapins, horseshoe crabs, and other species. This area is flooded during high tide.

Rock Sill
Rock sills are provided to add stabilization for wave energy.

(Upper Center Caption): Wharf Shoreline Before October 2010
(Lower Center Caption): Living Shoreline During Restoration April 2011

Centreville's Historic Shoreline
This 20th century factory building of the Valliant Fertilizer Company is the second generation of the original that stood on the site at the beginning of the 1900's. Prior to that, the Capt. Ozman shipping wharf and the Capt. Clash warehouses stood on the site from the mid-1800's.