Homeowner Incentives for Urban Waterway Stewardship and Shoreline Restoration

Title: Homeowner Incentives for Urban Waterway Stewardship and Shoreline Restoration

Discussion Group Leader: Tim Rummage

How do we go about preventing runoff?

• Transfer techniques and technologies
• New type of docking system that had a negative area—algae plant beneath in order to knock down the wake action against the shores

Good question: Is there a difference between walls keeping back the water and those keeping back the land?

• No, every environment is different and needs specific attention. General discussion

Softened shoreline – does this really stop the waves?

• Softened can be a poor choice of words (switch to “vegetative shoreline”)

Beauty is a form of incentive which is really important in order to motivate the public, whether economic (subsidies) or social. Incentives are part of good strategies.

• Find someone who might be a good mediator for neighborhood, possibly outside with local knowledge but skills
• Neighborhood Grant Program
• Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST)

Important to remember:

• Restoration projects get exemption from mangrove tree trimming—good to remember—trimming without a permit
• Call people that are already working on projects—if people are doing seawall restoration projects, then call them and see how to get the project started
• One example was that people looking to update their lawn and incorporated the current lawn workers by teaching them how to work their new landscape—no one lost a job.

Vital to give people choices:

• Working with NEST – building peer pressure for other neighbors.
• Fixing crumbling sea wall—what about where it is obviously not needed—such as low pressure canal ways?
• Makes it easier to switch to vegetative wall
• Putting pores in the sea wall and incorporating plants into the sea wall rather than completely replacing

Is there anything we can put directly in the water (quick fix) while we take care of the problems with storm water uphill?

• Sediment traps: completely inefficient which is surprising

Point of contention: SBEP tried to get water pipes from the airport to the bay replaced by stream—but airport said no due to possible increase in bird population. Though this was apparently not valid as it was not in their flight path. SBEP is still trying to get the initiative passed.

Main consensus: The ideas and innovations are there; people just need to utilize the technology. It is important to figure out how to peer pressure.