Slade Dale Living Shoreline Project
Project Purpose: The purpose of the project is to use Christmas tree breakwaters and Christmas
tree vanes to stabilize the eroding shoreline of Slade Dale Sanctuary, a 12.93 acre preserve
located in Point Pleasant, NJ along Beaverdam Creek. A secondary goal is to restore low marsh
habitat that has been historically lost, engage the community, and provide outreach on the
importance of marsh habitat for fish productivity and community resiliency.
Brief Description: Slade Dale Sanctuary is one of only a few areas of protected open space in
Point Pleasant, NJ. Unfortunately, the Sanctuary has, and continues to face threats from erosion.
A review of historic aerial imagery shows the shoreline of Slade Dale Sanctuary has retreated
approximately 300 feet since 1930. Additionally, the current vegetation composition of the site
shows evidence of marsh retreat: little, if any, low marsh habitat currently exists on site, and dead
or dying upland tree species in current high marsh areas suggests these locations were previously
upland and have since become inundated as the shoreline has eroded. To address these issues, the
American Littoral Society plans to build several branchbox breakwaters and tree vanes, primarily
constructed out of Christmas trees recycled from the local community. These structures will act to
attenuate wave energy and accrete sediment, protecting the shoreline from further erosion and
creating a platform for the expansion of the marsh. We will monitor and adaptively manage
outcomes.
Resource Values/Project Outputs: Slade Dale Sanctuary is important for several vulnerable bird
species including osprey (Pandion haliaetus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), blackcrowned
night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and least tern (Sternula antillarum). By using
nature based restoration methods, this proposed living shoreline will help protect the property
from further erosion while also creating important low marsh habitat. Using recycled Christmas
trees not only repurposes an otherwise abundant waste item, but also allows for community
outreach and involvement.
Cost/Budget: Total Project Budget $73,850. Match funding provided by Borough of Point
Pleasant ($15,000 cash and $10,000 in-kind), The Nature Conservancy ($11,000), Point Pleasant
Rotary Club ($4,000), and NOAA ($13,000).
Schedule: Project construction: September 2018; Monitoring: 2018 – 2023; Maintenance: 2018 –
2023
Permit Status: NJDEP Coastal GP 24 approved January 5, 2018, USACE NWP 27/54 approved
October 27, 2017
List of Partners: U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (technical partner); The Nature Conservancy
(funding partner); Borough of Point Pleasant (project/funding partner); Point Pleasant Rotary
Club (funding partner), Atlantic Dock and Bulkhead, Pinelands Nursery
What is requested from the CWRP/Contribution: $15,000
Point of Contact: Captain Alek Modjeski, 732-291-0055, Alek@littoralsociety.org