Shoreline Management

At the
Forefront of Shoreline Management
Lisa Borre, Robyn L. Smyth, and Eric A. Howe

Adapting shoreline and riparian zone management to build resilience and

mitigate impacts of climate change

I
n coastal communities, the fear of rising sedimentation and a greater likelihood restoration and management efforts
sea levels has put climate adaptation and of flooding. There is also a projected (Figure 1).
resilience planning at the forefront of increase in consecutive days without Although lake managers have little
shoreline management programs in recent rain across most of the U.S. (NCA 2014) direct influence on reversing warming
years. But for inland water communities, that may further exacerbate water level trends or other aspects of global climate
the impacts of climate change, while fluctuations. The resulting changes in change (except by advocating for climate
perhaps not as obvious as regular coastal hydrology and water levels, from both action), there are management actions that
flooding events or as scary as sea level flooding and drought, are causing direct can be taken to build the resiliency of lake
rise predictions, are no less real. impacts to shorelines and lakes from ecosystems and mitigate the impacts of
As previously described in LakeLine erosion and sediment loading during the changing climate. Of the many climate
(Vol. 35, No. 3), the Global Lake flooding to loss of wetland connectivity impacts lake managers are beginning to
Temperature Collaboration has found and exposure of aquatic vegetation in address, stormwater management and
that lake surface water temperatures are the littoral zone during droughts. These reducing sediment and nutrient pollution
warming in all regions of the world and changes are further complicating lake caused by more intense rain events
in cold regions, the duration of winter
ice cover is in decline. With these and
other changes in weather patterns, the
period of lake stratification is becoming
longer in many lakes, creating even more
favorable conditions for harmful blooms
of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and
the development of hypoxia (low oxygen
conditions) below the thermocline.
Warming water temperatures and less ice
cover lead to higher evaporation rates
and changes in hydrology that affect
water levels on lakes as large as the North
American Great Lakes and as small as
seepage lakes in Wisconsin.
In addition to warming, global
climate change is altering and intensifying
precipitation patterns. Both globally
and nationally, we expect dry areas to
become drier while wet areas become
wetter. Despite the recent drought in the
Southwest, all areas of the United States
(except Hawaii) are experiencing more
rain as heavy downpour events (NCA
2014). With more intense rain events,
there is more surface runoff and erosion Figure 1. Changes in climate are further complicating restoration efforts on Lake Champlain and
leading to more nutrient pollution and many other lakes, especially in areas with more intense rain events. Photo: Lisa Borre.

8 Summer 2016 / NALMS • LAKELINE

are primary concerns, especially in the
northeastern U.S. where there has already
been a 70 percent increase in rain falling
in heavy downpour events (NCA 2014).
(See Figure 2.)
In areas experiencing bigger storms,
the focus is on implementing best
management practices along the shoreline
and in riparian areas throughout the
watershed to increase infiltration, stabilize
banks, curb sediment and nutrient loading
from stormwater runoff, and address other
concerns that help lake communities adapt
and become more resilient to climate
change.
The shortcomings of a “business as
usual” approach were perhaps no more
evident than when Tropical Storm Irene
impacted lakes across the Northeast in
2011, as shown by the analysis of in-
lake sensor data collected during the
storm by researchers from the Global
Lake Ecological Observatory Network
(GLEON). The high winds and inflows
destabilized thermal stratification and
washed terrestrial material into lakes
that impacted water quality and altered
microbial activity. Not surprisingly, the Figure 2. The map from NCA (2014) shows percent increases in the amount of precipitation
falling in very heavy events (defined as the heaviest 1% of all daily events) from 1958 to 2012 for
most heavily impacted lakes were the
each region of the continental United States. (Figure source: updated from Karl et al. 2009).
ones that received the most rainfall and
have the largest watersheds (Klug et al.
2012).
Irene was a real wake-up call for lake
and watershed groups in the Northeast
region, and the response to this extreme
weather event, as well as the general
increase in heavy downpours, provides
useful lessons for shoreline and riparian
zone management in a time of global
change, as shown in the following three
examples.

Lake Champlain, New York, Vermont,

and Quebec
Lake Champlain was hit particularly
hard in 2011 with record high lake levels
in the spring due to high winter snowmelt
coupled with intense rainfall followed by
massive tributary flooding from Tropical
Storm Irene, which left a lasting impact
on both human and natural communities
(Figure 3).
The Lake Champlain Basin Program
(LCBP) responded by embarking on a
stormwater planning effort to promote
more flood resilient communities (Dalton
et al. 2015). Two important steps toward Figure 3. Spring flooding along the shore of Lake Champlain during record breaking flooding in
flood resilience were identified: (1) 2011. Photo: LCBP.

Summer 2016 / NALMS • LAKELINE 9

reducing development in flood-prone
areas, and (2) providing rivers with better
access to their natural floodplains. Since
the 2011 floods, shoreline protection
zones, floodplain hazard areas, and
development standards have been
redefined across the region. These efforts
are aimed at preventing damage to
infrastructure and homes and reducing
pollution to waterbodies from flooding.
Both New York and Vermont have
strong shoreland management laws and
guidelines in place, including the Vermont
Shoreland Protection bill, which became
law in 2014. The importance of strong
shoreland management standards became
very clear in the spring of 2011, when
Lake Champlain reached record-high
levels and inundated homes along the
lakeshore and its outlet, the Richelieu
River, for over six weeks (Figure 4). In
addition to proper shoreland management
guidelines, the LCBP plan calls for Figure 4. Shoreline erosion along the west shore of North Hero, Vermont, during record-breaking
updating stormwater management flooding in 2011 on Lake Champlain. Photo: LCBP.
standards to accommodate larger and
more frequent storms. To mitigate the region to protect water quality over the The study found 12 percent of culverts
the impacts of such storms, the report long-term (Figure 5). are already undersized for current land
includes recommendations for floodplain Existing stormwater culverts and use and the recent shifts in precipitation
and wetland protection, consistent other infrastructure features were assessed (Simpson et al. 2012). The study also
permitting guidelines across jurisdictions, to determine if they could handle the found between 35 percent to 70 percent
relocation of existing infrastructure increased stormwater volumes under of culverts were undersized for a range
outside of flood zones, and properly sized current conditions as well as under likely of likely population growth and climate
gray infrastructure (e.g., storm drains, climate change scenarios (Figure 6). change scenarios. The project team
road culverts, etc.).

Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire

The Lake Sunapee Protective
Association (LSPA) also became
concerned about documented increases
in heavy precipitation events after Irene,
especially given changing development
patterns that were resulting in more
impervious surfaces in the watershed.
Given stormwater runoff has a major
impact on water quality, the LSPA
teamed up with scientists, researchers,
and educators from the UNH Stormwater
Center, Antioch University (Keene),
and private research and consulting
firms for a NOAA-funded project to
gather and analyze data on water-related
infrastructure, primarily stormwater
infrastructure, in the Sunapee watershed.
The objective was to help towns in the
watershed avoid costly infrastructure
damage and save money by adapting
stormwater systems to the changing
development and precipitation patterns in Figure 5. Stormwater flowing into Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire, through a road culvert. Photo:
Midge Eliassen.

10 Summer 2016 / NALMS • LAKELINE

 have led to the formation of deltas at
inlets that in some cases extend hundreds
of feet into the lake, altering shoreline
habitat, impeding recreational activities,
and threatening water quality (Figure 7).
As with Lake Sunapee, stormwater
infrastructure designed for the hydrology
of last century is inadequate for the
increasingly frequent, large rain events
that are occurring. To overcome
stormwater and other management
challenges, the Lake George Association
(LGA) plans and implements “Lake-
Saving Projects” in collaboration with
the Warren County Soil and Water
Conservation District and other public and
private partners that include local towns
and homeowner’s associations. The aim of
these projects is to protect Lake George’s
economically valuable water quality
(LGA 2016). Several recent projects have
involved a combination of green and gray
Figure 6. The LSPA responded to more frequent heavy rain events in the Lake Sunapee infrastructure to maximize infiltration
watershed by partnering with others to develop a climate adaptation plan focused on stormwater along steep slopes and shoreline areas
management, including recommendations for replacing undersized road culverts. Photo: Midge where space is valuable and limited. The
Eliassen.
native vegetation holds sediments in place
and slows down surface runoff so that it
estimated the watershed-wide cost of stormwater in the absence of stabilizing can be captured by gray infrastructure,
upgrading the culvert system for the vegetation, a problem exacerbated by such as dry wells, and released into the
“most likely” future storm scenario was local land development and the increase ground to allow for natural filtration of
12 percent greater than constructing in high flow events. Over the last half- the water before it enters the lake. The
culverts to the historical design standards. century, high sediment loads in streams LGA is also using bio-engineering to
They proposed a financing mechanism draining developed areas of the watershed restore eroding shorelines and gullies.
using a 20-year municipal bond that
would result in a minimal increase in
property taxes ($15 per household per
year), which seems like a bargain for
adapting civil infrastructure compared
to the emergency repair costs that might
be required for another storm like Irene.
Through an education and outreach
program, they motivated the community
to develop and implement a long-term
adaptation program to upgrade the
stormwater management system and
promote low impact development in the
watershed.

Lake George, New York

Enhancing stormwater management
is also a high priority around Lake
George, a long-time tourist destination
in the southern Adirondack Mountains
of New York known for its clear water,
sport fishing, and scenic vistas. Although
Lake George’s mountainous watershed
is relatively small and largely forested, Figure 7. Sediment loading to Lake George, New York, from English Brook after Tropical Storm
its steep slopes are easily eroded by Irene in 2011. Photo: Lake George Association.

Summer 2016 / NALMS • LAKELINE 11

Collectively, these projects are building
the lake’s resiliency to climate change.
The LGA stresses the importance of
monitoring and maintaining investments
in erosion control and stormwater
management to ensure proper functioning
and achieve the goal of keeping sediments
and associated nutrients and pollutants
out of the lake. In many cases, green
infrastructure and bio-engineering
solutions that incorporate native
vegetation become self-sustaining once
established, requiring less maintenance
than gray infrastructure and providing
additional benefits of habitat and carbon
capture.

Additional climate considerations

for shoreline and riparian zone
management
With anticipated increases in
sediment- and nutrient-laden runoff, it is
important to slow down overland flow Figure 8. Over 50 volunteers helped with riparian buffer plantings along the middle reach of
and increase opportunities for infiltration Alder Brook, Vermont, in 2012/13. Photo: Wildlife Management Institute.
in shoreline and upland areas. This
can be achieved through low-impact • Incorporate the use of green Management in the Lake Champlain
development and the incorporation stormwater infrastructure and low Basin. Lake Champlain Basin Program
of green infrastructure such as rain impact development techniques in Technical Report. http://www.lcbp.
gardens and barrels, bioswales, green shoreline areas and throughout the org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/80_
roofs, biofiltration galleries, silva cells, watershed. LCBP_ClimateChange_
constructed wetlands, street trees, and • Place greater emphasis on shoreline StormwaterMangement.pdf
permeable pavement. These practices and riparian zone management Karl, T.R., J.T. Melillo, and T.C.
are part of the management toolbox for practices such as restoring natural Peterson (Eds). 2009. Global Climate
all three watershed highlighted in this shorelines and floodplain corridors. Change Impacts in the United States.
paper. While green infrastructure has Cambridge University Press, 189 pp.
lower capacity than traditional stormwater • Establish greater connectivity Klug, J.L., D.C. Richardson, H.A. Ewing,
practices (or “gray” infrastructure), amongst tributaries, floodplains, and B.R. Hargreaves, N.R. Samal, D.
the LCBP report explains that green wetlands to mitigate flood risk. Vachon, D.C. Pierson, A.M. Lindsey,
infrastructure can be effective when • Reconsider design standards for D.M. O’Donnell, S.W. Effler and K.C.
dispersed throughout the landscape culvert sizing and backroads Weathers. 2012. Ecosystem effects of a
(Figure 8). management (decisionmaking based tropical cyclone on a network of lakes
These case studies illustrate why on the probabilities of past events is in northeastern North America. Environ
sound shoreline and riparian zone no longer adequate). Sci Technol., 46(21):11693-701.
management gain added importance http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/
• Take into account recent precipitation
in light of climate change, especially es302063v
and temperature trends, as well as the
in areas experiencing more frequent Lake George Association. 2016. Official
most likely projected future climate
heavy rain events. Though there are newsletter of the Lake George
trends.
still relatively few examples of climate Association. February 2016. 12 pp.
adaptation and resilience plans for lakes, http://www.lakegeorgeassociation.org/
In this time of global change, building
the experience and actions taken around documents/20160228FebNewsletter.pdf
resilience and mitigating the impacts of
lakes that are already feeling the effects National Climate Assessment. 2014. U.S.
increases in extreme precipitation events
of a changing climate highlight how Global Change Research Program,
are becoming increasingly important
existing management practices may need Washington, DC. http://nca2014.
considerations for shoreline and riparian
to be modified to account for current and globalchange.gov/report
zone management of inland waters.
projected future conditions: Simpson, M.H., L.J. Stack, J. Gruber,
R. Wood, T. Crosslin, C. Lawson, R.
• Establish shoreline buffer zones, References
Roseen and J. Smith. 2012. Stormwater
with larger and wider buffer zones on Dalton, M., S. Castle, and E. Howe.
drainage system vulnerability,
steeper slopes. 2015. Climate Change and Stormwater

12 Summer 2016 / NALMS • LAKELINE

 capacity, and cost: Response to climate Lisa Borre is a senior amongst physical and biological processes
change and population growth. Final research specialist at in lakes and the ocean and the use of science
project report: Sectoral Applications the Cary Institute of in resource management. She is an adjunct
Research Program FY2009, Climate Ecosystem Studies scientist at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem
Program Office, National Oceanic and and a member of the Studies and a member of the GLEON.
Atmospheric Administration. Global Lake Ecological
Observatory Network Eric A. Howe is the
Acknowledgments (GLEON). She is based in technical coordinator
Thanks to Robert Wood, associate Annapolis, Maryland, and for the Lake Champlain
executive director of the Lake Sunapee her work includes coordinating development Basin Program. He
Protective Association; Patrick Dowd, of Lake Observer, a mobile application for coordinates the LCBP
communications director at the Lake recording lake and water observations across Technical Advisory
George Association; and Jeremy Farrell, the globe. Lisa co-founded LakeNet, a world Committee and manages
researcher
u_SmarTROLL_Ad at the Darrin
ConceptLakeandBoat.pdf Fresh
3 2/4/2016 Water
12:53:04 PM lakes network that was active from 1998 to Basin-oriented research
Institute for sharing their experiences 2008, and coordinated the Lake Champlain grants. His research
and technical reports for use in this Basin Program, from 1990 to 1997. experience includes examining the effects
article. We also wish to acknowledge of shoreline development on the quality of
GLEON and the Reservoir and Lake Robyn L. Smyth is an shallow-water habitat in Vermont’s lakes and
Management Working Group in particular assistant professor at ponds, sea lamprey management in Lake
for contributing research and providing Bard College’s Center Champlain, acid deposition in the Adirondacks,
a forum for sharing experiences about for Environmental aquatic plant management in Lake George,
the role and response of lakes in a Policy in Annandale- water quality monitoring, and mitigating
changing global environment. Finally, we on-Hudson, NY, where the impacts of climate change in the Lake
acknowledge financial support from NSF she teaches courses Champlain watershed. c
Award EF-#1137327 and the Henry Luce on climate change
Foundation through an award to Bard and water resources
College as part of the Luce Initiative on and environmental management. She is an
Asian Studies and the Environment. aquatic scientist specializing in the interactions

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