The project showcases how shoreline protection can benefit freshwater areas

Hundreds of marsh plants help to reinforce the coast of great Bohemia Creek as part of the living shoreline at Bohemia River State Park. Photo by Joe Zimmermann/DNR

On the edge of Great Bohemia Creek, where in past years rushing water, boat wakes, and storm runoff undercut the riverbanks, a variety of natural shoreline protections now buffer the land at Bohemia River State Park.

Marshes planted with grasses are reinforced with log structures and vegetated rock sills. Further inland, live stakes and tree plantings add another layer of shoreline fortification.

For state park staff, this living shoreline not only provides a buffer for the park but it also showcases different techniques for shoreline projects for freshwater areas.

“The living shoreline at Bohemia River State Park stabilizes the shoreline, mitigates active erosion, enhances aquatic habitat, and improves water quality,” Park Manager Chris Grieco said. “This high-traffic location in a popular public park allows it to serve as a demonstration project with educational and outreach opportunities showcasing the benefits of shoreline restoration and riparian buffer preservation.”

Maryland Department of Natural Resources employees joined Cecil County staff and representatives from partner groups at the ribbon cutting of the living shoreline project this week.

Rather than buttressing an eroded shore with concrete bulkheads or other constructed materials, living shorelines use a range of natural solutions to stabilize coasts and provide ecosystem benefits. By taking advantage of the root systems of marsh plants and other natural shoreline elements, living shorelines can be more effective and require less maintenance than traditional hardened shorelines, while also building habitat and soil types similar to natural shorelines.

Representatives from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cecil County, and partner groups cut the ribbon on the living shoreline above a crossed log structure that provided stability to the shore.

The Bohemia River State Park project was supported by two grants from DNR’s Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund—$65,000 for the design and $886,000 for the implementation of the project. Coastal Resources Inc., of Annapolis, designed the living shoreline and Unity Landscape Design/Build Inc., of Church Hill, built the project. Cecil County was the grant partner for both phases.

While most living shorelines in the state are in more brackish areas of the Chesapeake Bay, DNR restoration specialist Sarah Hilderbrand said the Great Bohemia Creek project was a good example to show how these types of projects could benefit freshwater areas as well. Because it is along a tidal freshwater creek, the shoreline was able to incorporate a wider variety of vegetation than saltwater shorelines.

Plugs of marsh hibiscus, pickerelweed, duck potato, and other plants line the banks of the water. Shrubs and trees form the next layer of riparian buffer, including black willow and silky dogwood planted as live stakes—a process where full trees can grow from dormant branches dug into the ground.

Tree plantings and live stakes form the secondary level of coastline defense, firming up land just above the shore.

Grieco said he hopes that the site can be used as an educational opportunity for field trips and other visits. While the partners toured the site for the ribbon cutting, huge flocks of grackles and starlings coursed between the trees on either side of the creek.

Adjacent to the now stabilized shoreline is an 8-acre planting of approximately 2,450 trees, planted more than five years ago as one of the first property restoration projects completed at Bohemia River State Park. With this planting, the Maryland Forest Service and Cecil County converted riverfront farmland into forest and reduced runoff that entered the water.

Bohemia River State Park has been owned and managed by DNR since 2017 and caters to passive recreation such as canoeing, fishing, hunting, kayaking, wildlife viewing and trail use. A former agricultural property that dates back to the early history of Maryland, the park also maintains many acres of farmland and several historic buildings.

The living shoreline protects the growing forest and the agricultural fields as well as expanding recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Keeping the soils in place on the landscape and slowing the erosion of the banks benefits water quality downstream because plants and soils will help remove nutrients and other pollutants to the water over time.

“The Bohemia River State Park is a great addition to the state’s park system, and the Cecil County Department of Public Works is proud to have played a role in the successful completion of the living shoreline project,” Scott Flanigan, the director of the Cecil County Department of Public Works. “We value our partnership with the Maryland Park Service and look forward to continued collaboration in the future.”