Division of Land and Recreation
Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas
Southeast Florida Aquatic and Buffer Preserves
CAMA
NOTES
Natural Shoreline
Seawall: The support for this seawall has been
eroded away by wave action and rainwater runoff.
A problem plaguing many waterfront property
owners is the loss of shoreline property due to erosion.
Seawalls are often constructed in an attempt to combat
this erosion. Seawalls are designed to firm up the eroding
soil and keep it from deteriorating further. They are able
to perform this function in the short term but inevitably,
all seawalls fail. This brochure highlights the benefits of
maintaining a natural shoreline.
Using native vegetation to stabilize the shoreline
can be an effective way to reduce shoreline erosion. The
benefits are many: installation of natural shorelines are
much less costly than concrete or wood seawalls; natural
shorelines are less likely to fail than seawalls; natural
shorelines provide natural habitat unlike seawalls. Natural
shorelines are not only functionally better, but are often
more aesthetically pleasing.
The cost of placing a seawall on your shoreline
is far more expensive than planting natural vegetation. Any
seawalls or riprap (1-3ft diameter boulders placed at 2:1
slope) placed at or below mean-high water in a natural
water body require a permit from the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP), which includes a $500
application fee. Planting a natural shoreline simply
requires the DEP be notified. The cost to install a
concrete seawall is $100 - $130 per linear foot ($95 per
linear foot for a wooden wall). In addition, installation of
riprap ($60 - $80 per linear foot) is required at the
waterward edge of the seawall. A natural shoreline can be
planted for as little as $10 per linear foot for the plants
and $60 - $80 per linear foot for rip-rap, if necessary.
Spring 2000
Some organizations, such as The Native Plant Society,
offer free plants to homeowners.
Riprap may be installed in conjuction with native
plants in high energy areas where plants alone might not
root and stabilize quickly. In areas with very little wave
action or current, native vegetation alone is usually
sufficient to anchor the sediments and reduce erosion.
While natural shorelines require some effort to
establish, they are much cheaper and easier to maintain
over the long term. In the best case scenario, concrete
seawalls may have a lifespan of 20 – 25 years (wooden
seawalls degrade even faster and can leach harmful
chemicals into the water). Site characteristics,
construction materials and methods, and contractor
experience play a role in this variation. Nonetheless, a
seawall fails because wave energy is deflected downward
towards the bottom of the wall, eroding its foundation.
Rainwater runoff landward of the wall often erodes the
backside. Both of these factors can eventually cause the
seawall to topple into the water. Time and money will be
spent to repeatedly ensure a seawall’s integrity whereas
a natural shoreline remains intact with much less
maintenance.
Seawalls in general offer little habitat value for
plants and animals. Deflected wave energy increases the
turbidity (murkiness)of the water and ultimately affects
all the aquatic organisms. Most seawalls produce an
Natural Shoreline: This shoreline was not affected
by Hurricane Floyd because the mangroves secured
the shoreline.
adjacent muddy-sandy bottom with little environmental
value. Natural shorelines are not only aesthetically
pleasing, but contribute greatly to the natural environment.
By planting suitable vegetation for the area (see list
below), the environmental and economical value of
waterfront property is greatly enhanced. Native plants
will attract an array of animals such as birds, fish, and
even manatees.
The following is a list of native vegetation that
can be used for stabilizing and enhancing waterfront
property. The lists are not comprehensive. Local
community groups and nurseries can provide more plant
suggestions. The lists are categorized for saltwater and
freshwater environments as well as upland (dry), above
mean-high water (fringing wetlands), and below mean-high
water (emergent wetlands).
Saltwater/Brackish Shorelines
Upland
¨ Seagrape (Cocoloba uvifera)
¨ Wax-myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
¨ Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia)
¨ Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
¨ White stopper (Eugenia axillaris)
¨ Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Above Mean-High Water
¨ Bay-cedar (Suriana maritima)
¨ Marsh elder (Iva frutescens)
¨ Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)
¨ Railroad vine (Ipomoea pescaprae)
¨ Cord grasses (Spartina patens/bakeri)
¨ Necklace-pod (Sophora tomentosa)
Below Mean-High Water
¨ Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
¨ Leather fern (Acrostichum danaeifolium)
¨ Black rush (Juncus romerianus)
¨ Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)
¨ White mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa)
¨ Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans)
Seawalls - Our Best Option? Riprap planted with
native grasses provides a better, cheaper, and more
environmentally friendly alternative to seawalls.
Freshwater Shorelines
Upland
¨ Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto)
¨ Gallberry (Ilex glabra)
¨ Gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba)
¨ Pigeon plum (Coccoloba diversifolia)
¨ Southern red ceder (Juniperus virginiana)
Above Ordinary Water Level
¨ Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana)
¨ Willow oak (Quercus phellos)
¨ Cocoplum (Chrysobalenus icaco)
¨ Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine)
¨ Swamp red bay (Persea palustria)
¨ Wild coffee (Psychotria nervosa)
¨ Loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus)
¨ Hackberry (Celtis laevigata)
¨ Red maple (Acer rubrum)
Below or On Ordinary Water Level
¨ Willow (Salix caroliniana)
¨ Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
¨ Pond apple (Annona glabra)
¨ Swamp primrose (Ludwigia leptocarpa)
¨ Swamp lily (Crinum americanum)
Seawalls are commonly used to prevent erosion
of waterfront property in Florida. All concrete and
wooden seawalls are costly and eventually fail. Natural
shorelines are the most economical, practical, and
environmentally valuable method of securing a shoreline.
Before using an inferior option, please consider a more
natural approach.