December 2024
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3 Reads
Journal of Coastal Research
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December 2024
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3 Reads
Journal of Coastal Research
November 2024
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43 Reads
Journal of Coastal Research
Shaffer, J.A.; Oxborrow, B.; Parks, D.S.; Maucieri, D.G., and Michel, J., 0000. Linking marine ecosystem response to shoreline armor removal and large dam removals in the Elwha River and nearshore, Washington, USA. Journal of Coastal Research, 00(00), 000-000. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Large in-river dams and shoreline armor have a significant negative effect on coastal hydrodynamic and ecosystem processes. Armor removal (AR) is a well-documented shoreline restoration tool, and removal of large dams is proving to be an extremely effective tool to restore riverine ecosystem processes. However, nearshore ecosystem restoration associated with dam removals (DRs) is incomplete when shoreline impediments, including shoreline armoring and lower river alterations, remain, and linkages between dam and shoreline ARs are not well understood. In this study, near-shore ecosystem processes and function restoration response to large DRs and shoreline AR are assessed. Two nearly century-old large dams in the Elwha River watershed in the NW United States were removed during 2011-14, which liberated upward of 18 million tonnes (Mt) or approximately~9 million m 3 of silt, sand, and gravel to sediment-starved, armored, and unarmored shorelines. Within 1 year of the initiation of DR, unarmored shorelines in the drift cell broadened, flattened, sediment fined, and large woody debris (LWD) volumes significantly increased. Armored shorelines continued to be steep and coarse grained. In 2016-17, approximately 4700 m 3 of large riprap (shoreline armor) was removed from more than 650 m of the armored Elwha River east delta reach drift cell. Following AR, previously eroding shorelines broadened, sediment fined, LWD volumes increased significantly, and beach wrack metrics resembled non-armored beaches. These changes followed AR and did not occur at unarmored DR or control treatments. Invertebrate communities also responded to dam and armor removal (DAR) and showed increasing trends every year for 3 years after the project. It is concluded that only partial nearshore ecosystem restoration occurs from large DR when shoreline armoring that impairs nearshore hydrodynamic processes remains and that full ecosystem restoration of the nearshore associated with large DRs is obtained by restoring impaired shorelines along with DRs.
February 2021
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101 Reads
International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment
Coastal zones are important components of marine ecosystems that link upland and marine areas, and are often maintained by landslides, though these habitat forming processes are poorly understood. They are also often sites of commercial development, including mining, and restoration. In this ecosystem restoration project, we rapidly removed a large volume of shoreline armoring from the perimeter of an intertidal earthen filled mine structure. The remaining feature mimicked the toe of a large land slide characteristic of the region. Physical and ecological monitoring allowed us to understand how coastal ecosystems respond to large scale coastal sediment processes, including landslide function that forms them, and restoration actions to restore them. As a course of restoration, over 22,936 m³ of non-native armor totaling 0.47 hectares was rapidly removed from the perimeter of a 2.8 hectare earthen pier. Three years after removal, the feature is less than half its original configuration (area). Beach composition and ecological community of the restoration area responded positively relative to pre-project conditions and to the control site. Applying these results to historic deep seated landslides that define coastal zones of the region, we conclude that nearshore ecosystems are resilient and respond similarly to episodic natural and restored large-scale hydrodynamic processes.
April 2018
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52 Reads