While conservation practices implemented on any property can have great environmental benefits, conservation on shorefront properties presents a unique opportunity to prevent sediment lost through erosion and pollutants often carried in stormwater runoff from flowing directly into the adjacent body of water. With just over 1,000 miles of shoreline in the Colonial SWCD service area, there is immense potential for improving water quality locally and in the greater Chesapeake Bay.

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The following are several shoreline best management practices that can help prevent water quality degradation:

 

1.  Limit the use of fertilizers and herbicides on home lawns to only what is                     recommended by a recent soil test

2.  Decrease mowing to the shoreline edge

3.  Plant native plants along the shoreline to provide a vegetative buffer that will             capture sediment and  pollutants carried in stormwater and hold native soil in             place

4.  Consider installing a living shoreline if suitable for  the property

5.  Redirect stormwater runoff away from the shoreline and into a rain garden or dry       well if possible

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For more information, check out these resources from our conservation partners:

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Virginia Institute of Marine Science Shoreline Protection

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VA Dept of Conservation and Recreation Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service

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