“Shoreline management” is defined as any tidal shoreline practice that prevents and/or reduces tidal sediments to the Bay. Shoreline management practices consist of structural or hard practices, vegetated practices, or a mix of hardened and vegetative practices often called a hybrid approach. Currently, states and local jurisdictions claim minimal nutrient and sediment reduction pollutant load reduction for shoreline projects.
In early 2013, the Urban Stormwater Workgroup convened an expert panel, facilitated by the Center for Watershed Protection, to review the science and develop protocols to estimate the sediment and nutrient pollutant load reduction associated with different shoreline management practices. This will enable the Bay states to use shoreline management practices as part of an overall watershed strategy to meet nutrient and sediment load reduction targets for existing urban development under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
New recommendations for receiving credit for these practices were recently approved by the Water Quality GIT in Summer 2015. The report was updated in May 2018 with nutrient reductions now included under the prevented sediment approach.
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You can watch a webcast on the recommendations and different shoreline management techniques here.