West Severna Park Builds New Living Shoreline

Congratulations goes out to our member community, West Severna Park, for their newly completed living shoreline that protects a shady overlook of the community harbor.

SRA worked with the community and living shoreline expert, John Flood of Flood Brothers Marine Contracting, to obtain a $34,000 construction grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Anne Arundel County’s Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration.

The West Severna Park Community sought help because 100 feet of shoreline had washed away from the old bulkhead (see pic at left), which was also undermined by runoff from the road leading down to the beach area.

The solution proposed by Flood Brothers: a living shoreline with marsh grasses behind a breakwater 30 feet offshore (see pic above).

The grant was awarded May 20. Construction of the breakwater began in early June and by June 26, community volunteers were planting the shoreline marsh grasses that will take root and hold the sandy beach in place.

Many thanks to all the West Severna Park volunteers who came out to learn how to plant marsh grasses under the watchful eye of John Flood.

The living shoreline not only protects the shoreline from erosion, but also creates habitat for turtles, blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, plants and other creatures. 

Some more pictures of the final day of planting the living shoreline grasses: