Comparison of site maintenance and operations costs before and after a major shoreline restoration project
Presentation Abstract
Public agencies considering significant shoreline restoration projects in the Salish Sea region are often able to secure grant funding for capital costs, but they subsequently find that funding for operations and maintenance is more difficult to obtain. This creates concerns for agencies that are considering larger-scale restoration projects, which often carry significant long-term costs related to site operation and maintenance. This study compared the costs associated with the continued operation and maintenance of a 180-acre (73-hectare) shoreline park on Puget Sound with those of the same park after a $6 million (USD) restoration. The costs were generated using actual invoices for maintaining areas of the park where the restoration was implemented, as well as for a smaller, adjacent shoreline restoration completed in 2007; costs were projected over a 50-year time frame. The analysis also considered the ecosystem services provided by restoration to quantify the value of green infrastructure benefits of the restoration actions to the public. Maintenance and operation costs for the restored site included substantial early investment in establishing native vegetation in the backshore and riparian areas, where existing seawalls had been removed. These restoration costs also included the cost of beach nourishment that will periodically be required to supplement lost sediment supply that had historically supported beaches at the park, but which is now cut off by residential development. The study found that the overall cost of park operation and maintenance over the 50-year term was significantly lower after restoration, despite high initial costs for establishing native vegetation, occasional costs associated with beach nourishment and landslide management, and other events associated with restored natural processes.
Session Title
Session S-01G: New Strategies for Shorelines
Conference Track
Shorelines
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 6:30 PM
Location
Room 6C
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Restoration ecology--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Costs; Ecosystem management--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Comparison of site maintenance and operations costs before and after a major shoreline restoration project
Room 6C
Public agencies considering significant shoreline restoration projects in the Salish Sea region are often able to secure grant funding for capital costs, but they subsequently find that funding for operations and maintenance is more difficult to obtain. This creates concerns for agencies that are considering larger-scale restoration projects, which often carry significant long-term costs related to site operation and maintenance. This study compared the costs associated with the continued operation and maintenance of a 180-acre (73-hectare) shoreline park on Puget Sound with those of the same park after a $6 million (USD) restoration. The costs were generated using actual invoices for maintaining areas of the park where the restoration was implemented, as well as for a smaller, adjacent shoreline restoration completed in 2007; costs were projected over a 50-year time frame. The analysis also considered the ecosystem services provided by restoration to quantify the value of green infrastructure benefits of the restoration actions to the public. Maintenance and operation costs for the restored site included substantial early investment in establishing native vegetation in the backshore and riparian areas, where existing seawalls had been removed. These restoration costs also included the cost of beach nourishment that will periodically be required to supplement lost sediment supply that had historically supported beaches at the park, but which is now cut off by residential development. The study found that the overall cost of park operation and maintenance over the 50-year term was significantly lower after restoration, despite high initial costs for establishing native vegetation, occasional costs associated with beach nourishment and landslide management, and other events associated with restored natural processes.
