Evaluation of Green Shores Approaches to Expected Sea Level Rise

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Terms of Reference • • • •

Project led by SCBC as part of Green Shores™ program Funding from NRCan Advisory Group Contract with SNC Lavalin Inc • Coastal Engineers • Marine Biologists


Study Basis 1. Develop a framework to evaluate the adaptability of “soft” shore armouring alternatives to: • • •

climate change related sea level rise (CCSLR), ecological resilience cost effectiveness.

2. Complete conceptual soft and hard alternate designs and evaluation for three case examples : • A community with a pre‐existing hard alternative system protection system • A community shoreline, with no pre‐existing shoreline system • An example of a private residential shoreline

3. Review and provide recommendations to enable funding of “soft” shore armouring alternatives for flood protection.


Adaptability Framework Adaptation framework considered: • Protect (against Flooding) option only • Design criteria based on: • “Sea Dike Guidelines • Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines for Sea Dikes and Coastal Flood Hazard Land Use”, BC Ministry of Environment, 27 January 2011

• All hard and soft alternatives designed: • To provide security and safety against flooding for 1 m local SLR • Conceptual design intended to require minimal maintenance over life (nominally 25 to 50 years) • All concepts are considered to be equally at risk of some maintenance during concept life • All concepts will likely need to be renewed sometime after 1 meter SLR arrives


Evaluation Framework Ecological Service

Ecosystem role

Link to CDRS

ES 1:` Alongshore transport processes

Conservation of coastal sediment processes

Prerequisite 4

ES 2: `Upland-foreshore linkages

Connectivity processes

Prerequisite 2

ES 3: `Marine riparian vegetation

Ecosystem structure and function

Prerequisite 3

ES 4:` Emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation

Ecosystem structure and function

Prerequisite 3

ES 5: `Foreshore habitat supply

Ecosystem structure and function

Prerequisite 2

ES 6: `Foreshore habitat diversity

Ecosystem structure and function

Prerequisite 2

ES 7: `Foreshore-offshore linkages

Connectivity processes

Prerequisite 2

ES 4: Emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation Score

Guidance

+2

EA plants or enhances the density of emergent or submerged aquatic vegetation along > 50% of the shoreline.

+1

EA plants or enhances the density of emergent or submerged aquatic vegetation along at least 50% of the shoreline.

0 (neutral)

In light of the site’s history, the EA does not enhance or reduce the existing emergent or submerged aquatic vegetation.

-1

EA results in a reduction in emergent of submerged aquatic vegetations along < 50% of the shoreline.

-2

EA removes all existing emergent of submerged aquatic vegetations along > 50% of the shoreline.


Cost Framework Cost Framework based on: • Initial Capital Costs: • Estimating Norms for supply and placement of materials • As per: • Cost of Adaptation – Sea Dikes & Alternative Strategies, Final Report. Report prepared for MFLNRO by Delcan, October 2012.

• Indirects • Engineering, permitting, etc • 15 per cent

• Contingency • Class D estimate consistent with Conceptual Level of Design • 40 per cent

• Maintenance Costs: Both hard and soft concepts considered to have maintenance requirements • Monitoring: Both considered to need monitoring • Renewal costs: Both hard and soft concepts will need to be enhanced as SLR continues beyond 1 m SLR


Case Example 1 • Qualicum Beach


CE 1 - Alternatives Existing Case

1 m SLR

HHW 2014

Hard Alternative HHW 2014

Soft Alternative HHW 2014


Case Example 2 • Marr Creek – District of West Vancouver


CE2 - Alternatives Private Public Boulders

Existing Case

On‐going sediment accumulation

1 m SLR

Hard Alternative

Soft Alternative

Rock Clusters

Low Intertidal Reef


Case Example 3 • Private Residence – East Coast Vancouver Island


CE 3 – Alternatives Imported beach material

1 m SLR

Hard Alternative

Soft Alternative

Existing natural inter‐tidal sediments


Ecological Effectiveness Case Example

1

Qualicum Beach

Existing

Hard Alternative

Soft Alternative

-7

-10

+8

The existing shoreline treatment was constructed in the 1960s.

Comment

2

Marr Creek Inter-tidal

-5

+3

+9

The existing shoreline treatment was constructed in the 1960s. The ongoing SPP, which is underway on the existing shoreline shows a net benefit.

3

Private Residence

+5

-4

0

The existing shoreline treatment was a cedar pile seawall


Cost Effectiveness

Case Example

Hard Alternative

Soft Alternative

Comment

1

Qualicum Beach

$33,000/m

$10,000 $14,000/m

Depending on choice of sand or gravel/pebble/cobble.

2

Marr Creek Inter-tidal

$35,000/m

$25,000/m

Assumes cost presented above.

basis

Does not include cost of maintaining dry high tide access on existing walkway. Does not include the sunk costs of existing rock features already on site.

3

Private Property

$8000/m

$4000/m

Does not include sunk cost of existing headland beach system


Conclusions Case Examples

• Conceptual Designs all indicate hard and soft solutions can provide mandatory Flood Protection against CCSLR • Conceptual Designs are not detailed solutions that would like emerge from large consultative and interactive processes

Ecological Services

• Possible for hard and soft concepts to provide Ecological resilience • What is needed is a formalized process to assess the benefits during the approval process • Evaluation Framework is a potential robust model • Green Shores™ program also provides a framework to inform the evaluation process


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