HAMPTON, Va. - Recent reports show the health of the Chesapeake Bay could be better- a lot better.
In the 2022 State of the Bay report, scientists offered living shorelines as part of the solution to combat the low grade the watershed received; a D+.
“A living shoreline is really a green method of shoreline stabilization, of controlling erosion on the shoreline, and making sure we are protecting our shoreline as much as possible,” said urban conservationist Robyn Woolsey.
Woolsey works with the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District. The group is partnering with the city of Hampton to jumpstart a program aimed toward waterfront property owners. Property owners could apply for up to $30,000 in funding to help build living shorelines.
Hampton Wetlands board staff coordinator Allison Jackura said as of 2020, the state requires waterfront property owners to install living shorelines if that's a viable option.
“We really need to embrace our water and we need to live with it, so we need to have an active engaged waterfront and living shorelines are one of the ways we can achieve that,” said Jackura.
For 2023, ten property owners will be selected. Heather Solomon is currently in the application process.
"We see it as not only a huge benefit to our property but more importantly to the ecosystem at large,” said Solomon.
Solomon currently has a wooden bulkhead that is decades old. She said the issue extends well beyond her backyard.
“It impacts the roadways around here, it impacts the Downtown Hampton community, so it’s not just for us it’s kind of for the greater good,” said Solomon.
If you're interested in applying for Hampton's living shoreline program, more information can be found here.
