GEI is currently working as the Engineering Consultant for the Living Shorelines Pilot Project being undertaken collaboratively by the State of Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Geological Survey, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, and other partner agencies as part of a regional Living Shoreline initiative being funded by NOAA.

The project involves design, regulatory assistance, construction oversight, and long-term monitoring of Living Shoreline installations at three sites on Casco Bay:

• An eroding marsh located on property owned by the Maine DIF&W in the Town of Brunswick. The property is on upper Maquoit Bay adjacent to the Wharton Point Boat Launch.
• An eroding marsh located on the Maquoit Bay Conservation Lands property that is jointly owned by the Town of Brunswick and Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. The property is on western Maquoit Bay.
• A highly unstable Coastal Bluff located on Lane’s Island, an undeveloped, conserved island in the Town of Yarmouth near the mouth of the Royal River that is owned by Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

GEI has worked closely with the project partners to develop Living Shoreline treatment designs that are aimed at identifying low-cost solutions to shoreline erosion that beneficially reuse onsite and/or natural materials such as downed logs, bagged oyster shells, and native plantings, in combination with biodegradable (coconut fiber) bagging material or synthetic baskets.
Construction of the two Brunswick sites was completed in Spring 2020 and initial monitoring is underway. Construction of the third site is planned for Summer/Fall 2020. Ongoing monitoring will be undertaken for a minimum of three years following the installations to assess performance of the treatments under routine tidal exposure, storm conditions, and winter icing.