Before

Mayo Beach Park is one of the only public swimming beaches in Anne Arundel County, one that draws families from all over the central Maryland area to the shores of the South River. The only road leading into the park was at risk of serious damage and being washed out due to severe shoreline erosion that was quickly making its way to Honeysuckle Drive. To stop the rapid shoreline erosion, create new habitat, and protect the only road into Mayo Beach Park, Arundel Rivers installed a 600 foot natural shoreline with dunes and breakwaters.

The primary goals of implementing this natural shoreline were:

• Increase the resiliency of the shoreline to the impacts of climate change.

• Use nature-based restoration to protect public infrastructure from the impacts of climate change and flooding.

• Protect community access to the water.

• Create new dune habitat that will provide benefits to bay wildlife.

• Provide water quality benefits to the bay and South River by reducing and preventing shoreline erosion and filtering excess nutrients from stormwater runoff

This dune based approached was selected in consideration of the coastal resilience needs. Fetch is a major factor in determining the restoration approach as it measures roughly eight miles to the northeast and 125 miles to the southeast. Fetch of this magnitude results in large and erosive wind-driven waves. The rock headland structures absorb the shock of the waves and contain sand and cobble fill in natural embayment shapes between the headland points. The gentle slopes of the cobble beach will absorb wave energy.

Vegetated dunes help dissipate wave energy and allow for marsh/beach migration as sea levels rise. The design created a wide beach and dunes in the location of the most severe beach erosion, providing short and long-term protection for Honeysuckle Drive and the shoreline. Salt marsh hay habitat restoration and dune habitat creation are major benefits of this project.

After