Ecological Engineering Coastal Restoration 

(sponsored by the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program)

Ecological engineering solutions that are naturally self-sustaining and protect future land losses are one approach to abating the loss of critical coastal property. Ecological engineering designs using natural materials can preserve the shoreline, and create an aesthetically pleasing, natural shoreline habitat that can be sustained free by nature rather than with costly human efforts. Such restoration efforts can also be achieved at a fraction of the capital cost of conventional sea wall structures.

Locally in Kleberg County, Loyola Beach has experienced accelerated rates of erosion along its 1500 feet of shoreline, claiming as much as 15 feet of land over a several year period. Kaufer-Hubert Park is one of the most prominent and highly utilized public access points in the area; offering fishing, boat launching, camping, bird watching, and other recreational activities. To mitigate coastal erosion, a 600 foot seawall has been constructed at the eastern side of Loyola Beach to protect the Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park from further loss. The concrete seawall replaced construction debris that had been installed as riprap to abate erosion, but it was an expensive mitigation strategy and dramatically altered both shoreline access and coastal habitat.

A new ecological engineering design was proposed for an additional 150 feet of shoreline northwest of the boat ramp designed to accomplish shoreline stabilization, beach preservation and maintain the coastal ecosystem. Additionally the approach was developed to create an aesthetically pleasing, environmentally safe, and a low-cost alternative that serves the needs of the public areas at the Park. The Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Foundation and Kleberg County provided funding for the project.

The ecological engineering approach was implemented at the approximately 150 foot stretch of eroding beach west of the two boat ramps at Kleberg County's Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park and the structure was completed in May 2003. The shoreline restoration included a unique design incorporating natural fiber mats, a woven geotextile, and local stone and native plants to create a coastal area providing erosion protection, that blends with the natural surroundings, and provides ecological habitat along a low wave energy shoreline. Erosion rates for the beach section prior to beach restoration and a baseline survey after the installation of the restored coastal section were measured and evaluated.  The photo on the left was taken two years after the project was completed.

Geotechnical research included evaluations of soil moisture and soil shear strength testing before and after the planted beach restoration. Future geotechnical measurements and surveying are planned to evaluate the integrity of the structure including its resistance to erosion during storm surges and high tide events.