BANK AND SHORELINE STABILIZATION


Vegetation colonizing banks and shorelines stabilizes the soil or substrate and diminishes wave action, thereby reducing shoreline erosion potential and increasing bank stability. Vegetated wetlands along all flowing or large standing waterbodies (e.g., estuaries, lakes, rivers, and streams) therefore provide this function at high levels. Intertidal oyster reefs when located along shorelines help protect the shorelines from erosion and are therefore rated as high. Vegetated wetlands along ponds are designated as moderate for this function since there is less wave or erosive action along these shores. Since island wetlands are surrounded by water, they are not considered significant for this function. It is recognized that some wetland islands may when positioned offshore in close proximity to the shoreline reduce wave action and contribute to shoreline stabilization.


For this function, the following relationships are used:

High

Estuarine vegetated wetlands (except island types), Estuarine nonvegetated irregularly flooded, Lotic wetlands (vegetated except island and isolated types and floating mats), Lentic wetlands (vegetated except island types and floating mats)






Moderate

Other Estuarine nonvegetated wetlands (except island), Terrene vegetated wetlands associated with ponds (e.g., Fringe-pond, Flat- pond, and Basin-pond), Estuarine intertidal oyster reefs (along the shoreline), Marine Unconsolidated Shore, Terrene Outflow Headwater wetlands



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