Design and construction of the Little Beaver Island shoreline and coastal wetland habitat improvement

Session: Wetland Restoration in the Great Lakes Basin: Research and Innovation (2)

Ryan Davis, Anchor QEA, [email protected]

Abstract

Beaver Island State Park is a 950-acre park at the south end of Grand Island on the Niagara River. The proposed project covers 800 linear feet of shoreline and nearshore habitat along a high-energy section of the river.  Erosive forces, including high velocity currents, wind energy, and ice scour acting along the shoreline, prevent the establishment of coastal wetland habitat and have led to bank erosion and property loss.

The project sponsor, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, identified stabilizing and enhancing this portion of Little Beaver Island as a top priority for improving habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species, and for its potential contribution to the de-listing of the Niagara River as an Area of Concern.

Project designs were initiated in mid-2018.  The design objectives included creating and restoration resting, feeding, and spawning habitat for numerous fish and wildlife species, and enhancing shoreline stability to prevent future property loss by addressing erosive forces and improving coastal resiliency.  To meet these objectives, stabilization and restoration designs were developed that included offshore breakwaters to reduce wind-driven wave energy and provide offshore tern nesting habitat.  Inshore of the breakwaters, coastal wetland and riparian habitats were designed to improve habitat diversity and support native species.