Sustainable Shoreline at Nyack Beach State Park

Princeton Hydro and our project partner, the American Littoral Society, developed living shoreline designs for Nyack Beach State Park. The project goal was to create shorelines resilient to extreme storms and increase resilience to damages linked to climate change while enhancing ecological values and preserving public use of the site.

The final selected shoreline designs were consistent with the Master Plan for the Nyack Beach State Park and promoted goals of the 2010-2014 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda. With these goals and objectives in mind, the Princeton Hydro team worked closely with the Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP), Nyack Beach State Park staff, and the other project stakeholders to generate ecologically-enhanced, engineered shoreline treatments that resist erosion, enhance the recreational use of the site, and improve habitat for fish and wildlife species.

The Princeton Hydro team consulted state and federal regulations governing waterfront projects and took into consideration guidance offered directly by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) during the early stages of design development. A “tread lightly” approach was taken, promoting nature-based solutions. Satisfactory existing elements of the site, including post-Hurricane-Sandy repairs to the park and its shoreline, were enhanced rather than redone.

A large portion of the selected design included access to the river and the park’s intertidal, nearshore areas. Thus, the project approach would need to be sensitive to park use by visitors. At the same time, as directed by the Nyack Beach State Park staff, our designs were designed to minimize the maintenance responsibilities of park staff.