Gartley Beach Green Shores for Homes Project

Bringing natural solutions to protect shoreline neighbourhoods from coastal hazards.

Comox Valley Project Watershed Society, Stewardship Centre for BC and Comox Valley Regional District are joining forces to offer nature-based solutions for shoreline protection in Royston, BC. This year, we are engaging with the Gartley Beach community to work together in protecting shoreline properties from flooding and sea-level rise by applying nature-based solutions to local shorelines.

Why nature-based solutions for shorelines?

Nature-based solutions are shoreline protection measures that embrace “softer” designs and incorporate natural elements (rocks, native vegetation, sediment, shoreline topography, coastal processes) into shoreline designs to make them more adaptable and resilient against coastal hazards. Nature-based approaches recognize the dynamic nature of the coast and work with natural coastal processes and ecosystems to balance human needs with those of the natural environment.

The Gartley Beach neighbourhood is located within the flood zone mapped by the Comox Valley Regional District. The area is susceptible to high impact of waves and is at risk of flooding and sea-level rise (increase in coastal water levels encroaching on shores and beaches). Today more than ever, we need to get ready for changing climates and prepare our shorelines for changes in coastal zones. Nature-based solutions like Green Shores incorporate local ecology and coastal processes into shoreline protection and work with homeowners to provide environmental, recreational, cultural and aesthetic value to their shoreline properties.

How will the project help Gartley Beach shoreline homeowners?

The ocean doesn’t recognize borders or property lines. This project aims to work on a neighbourhood-scale with multiple landowners on a continuous stretch of shoreline. This will create an effective natural shoreline design to serve individual homeowners as well as the entire neighbourhood. Thanks to funding from the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund, this project will help individual homeowners to cover the costs of implementing the nature-based shoreline designs. Noting the neighbourhood’s vulnerability to flooding and sea level rise, Stewardship Centre for BC previously contracted Northwest Hydraulic Consulting Ltd, a leading engineering firm specialising in nature-based solutions, to produce concept designs suitable for Gartley Beach area.

This fall, Project Watershed invites local residents and shoreline homeowners to participate in discussions and work together with the engineering team and Green Shores specialists to create a suitable design that benefits both the environment and community. For more information, contact Project Watershed info@projectwatershed.ca or the Stewardship Centre info@stewardshipcentrebc.ca

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