Chickahominy Riverfront Park Living Shoreline

When their park shorelines were eroding and limiting the ability for residents to enjoy recreational opportunities along the waterfront, James City County (JCC), Virginia turned to our team for help. Our job? To stabilize the shorelines along the Chickahominy River and Gordon Creek.

Our work began in 2014 as part of JCC’s park master planning. We assessed shoreline stabilization options at Chickahominy Riverfront Park. This assessment helped JCC to identify an alternative for implementation. Following this, our engineers helped JCC receive a grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment (nearly $800,000) for the project to be matched 1:1 by the County, funding the project. Our team then provided final living shoreline design plans incorporating rock marsh sills and beach nourishment, along with marsh creation and plantings.

Through innovative approaches, we were able to analyze and document the nutrient reductions from the shoreline improvements and concurrently help with overall stormwater compliance for JCC’s MS4 permit. Upon completion, this project received “The Best New Environmental Sustainability Award” from the Virginia Recreation & Park Society.