Welcome back to the marsh! The James River Association is excited to announce that our Living Shoreline Cost-Share Program has been extended through the end of the year.
What is a living shoreline? Living shorelines are nature-based solutions to erosion and work to trap sediment while removing pollutants from the water and providing habitat for native wildlife. While they can take many forms, the living shorelines that the James River Association help create restore marsh within the tidal zone.
Homeowners who live in the tidal reaches of the Lower James River Watershed may be eligible.
The program covers the following:
- Free site visit evaluation with JRA staff and an engineer from the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service
- Living shoreline project design
- Joint Permit Application and any associated fees from local Wetlands Boards
- Putting the project out to bid to our pool of vetted marine contractors
- 75% of installations and construction costs
- All maintenance for the first three years of the project’s life
At this time most eligible projects have been located on lower energy, brackish tributaries to the James. Sites directly on the main-stem of the James River, near large, eroding bluffs, or adjacent to wide open stretches of water, or very close to the fall line may not be appropriate for the cost-share program. For more information about the cost-share program and the Living Shoreline Collaborative that JRA helps convene, please visit our website jamesrivershorelines.org.