Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is piloting the use of QuickReef for shoreline restoration in Dorchester County.
The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is planning the use of QuickReef, an innovative living shoreline material, in Maryland. This pilot project aims to protect a tidal salt marsh habitat along a 357-acre conservation easement in Dorchester County. Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund and NOAA, the initiative seeks to enhance shoreline resilience using sustainable materials.
QuickReef is constructed from native coastal materials, including limestone marl and recycled oyster shells sourced from North Carolina. These blocks can be arranged in various formations, providing an ideal substrate for oyster recruitment and enhancing aquatic environments. When placed in the intertidal zone, they attenuate wave energy, creating calm areas for marsh establishment and habitats for marine life such as fish, crabs, barnacles, and oysters. This approach offers a cost-effective and efficient solution to combat shoreline erosion, which contributes to the Chesapeake Bay losing up to two million metric tonnes of sediment annually.
Recognizing the challenges of accessibility and affordability in implementing living shoreline projects, ESLC is working to accelerate their adoption among private landowners and local governments. With over half of ESLC’s 332 protected properties situated along major rivers, amounting to 177 miles of vulnerable shoreline, the need for effective shoreline stabilization is pressing. The Dorchester County pilot will serve as a demonstration site, with assessments planned for 20 additional QuickReef installations across Maryland’s Eastern Shore.