Repairing Shorelines

By Lydia Clapp, Duluth Field Crew Member / AmeriCorps Member

With a warming climate, weather patterns are shifting and more and more places are being hit with extreme weather. Minnesota is no stranger to this, and CCMI has many projects to help shorelines adapt to more frequent severe storms. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a shoreline restoration project in International Falls, MN. A 500 year flood hit a few years ago and had detrimental effects on the shoreline of the Rainy River. The frequent erosion of riverbanks threatens property, wildlife, and the water quality. Erosion of the land around these rivers decreases the natural barrier allowing for more flooding and runoff.

We were tasked with repairing the shoreline on a property on the river. We replaced the dirt that was lost in the flood, then placed down coir logs to trap the soil. The logs slowly biodegrade, and in the meantime allow the soil to stay and gain strength as new plants grow. We also planted some new plants to aid in this. This project was a lot of work, as we had to lay a truckload of dirt down, however; the end result was worth it. Being able to see how the shoreline changed in each step, learn about the ways we can adapt to future storms, and help and educate landowners made this project one of my favorites. I am excited to see how projects like these benefit the shorelines in the future.