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Overlay shoreline structures and modifications

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Map shoreline structures and modifications including:

Shoreline modifications	piers, docks groins, jetties culverts dams armoring (dikes, levees, bulkheads)
Facilities cutting across or through the shoreline	roads bridges ferry terminals marinas pipelines, utilities
Adjacent land uses potentially influencing shoreline ecological function	agriculture (dairies, etc.) septic tank locations hazardous waste facilities impervious areas
Water quality indicators	303(d) listed water bodies contaminated sediments shellfish harvest ratings

Prepare a narrative summary describing existing shoreline functions evidenced by the mapped physical, biological and modification features. Here are some key questions you can ask of the inventory data to evaluate the status of shoreline conditions.

• Is the river constrained by roads, levees?

• Has the floodplain been disconnected from the stream by roads, and other impervious surfaces?

• Have piers and docks eliminated aquatic vegetation?

• Have piers, docks, bulkheads, jetties or groins interrupted sediment transport?

• Have land use activities affected water quality (e.g., agriculture, leaky septics, impervious surfaces, through stormwater runoff)?

• Have wetlands been disconnected from the floodplain or shoreline?

• Has shoreline development reduced riparian vegetation available for recruitment as woody debris, filtering non-point pollution, or wildlife habitat?

In some cases comparing historic and current photos and maps may be useful in determining how modifications have interrupted flows that affect ecological function, for example, estuarine/wetland infilling or riparian vegetation loss, encroachment on floodplains, and impervious surfaces in the basin that contributes to the reach. The effects of shoreline modifications will depend on the type of shoreline.

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