The Living Shoreline Suitability Model (LSSM) identifies locations where living shorelines are suitable based on a suite of shoreline conditions. The workshop will demonstrate the data layers necessary to run the model and provide examples of the model output for selected sites in the Lake Pontchartrain region. The LSSM was first developed in Virginia to guide regulatory and permit decisions. Today the model is being used to identify areas where the co-benefits of living shorelines offer communities greater coastal resilience and nutrient reduction credits for water quality improvements.
A beta version of the Living Shorelines Decision Support Tool (LSDST) will be demonstrated during this workshop. The tool provides “on the fly” shoreline best management options based on interactive user input. This interactive tool is designed to make a rapid assessment of a specific shoreline site and recommends strategies for implementing a living shoreline. A suite of erosion control design classes that encompass a wide range of emerging erosion control innovations allows the tool to be flexible across different geographic regions and wave energy conditions.
Who should attend? This workshop is recommended for local and regional environmental planners, shoreline managers and regulators, marine contractors, consultants, non-governmental agencies, and natural resource outreach professionals from universities, and state programs and federal agencies. Workshop leaders encourage participants who can offer input and recommend outreach strategies as expert users in the Lake Pontchartrain region to attend.
