Fresh Creek Coastal Protection

Project Description

Located within the Jamaica Bay area of New York City, the Fresh Creek Nature Preserve contains more than 40 acres of salt marsh and upland habitat, and a diversity of plants and avian species. A 7,000 foot stretch of the creek’s shoreline, which featured steep, eroding banks and patches of Spartina alterna flora and ribbed mussels, however, had become highly unstable.

To help the Governor’s Office of Stormwater Recovery enhance resilience, protect state shorelines, and address the instability of Fresh Creek, Biohabitats is assisting the Urban/KS Engineering team in providing recommendations for the Fresh Creek Coastal Protection Project and a conceptual design for the most vulnerable sections of the Creek’s shoreline. Building on knowledge of identified risks, Biohabitats is developing multiple methods to minimize the effect of excess flood waters along Fresh Creek. The intent of these strategic flood protection measures is to reduce the frequency of events affecting local residents.

Applying Biohabitats’ experience in designing living shorelines along the New England coast, New York Harbor, and the Chesapeake Bay area, the team will be preparing site-specific restoration plans, including design drawings and specification, permitting submittals and the construction of the living shoreline treatment as one of the flood protection strategies.