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Shore and Bank Projects by State

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Shore and Bank Protection

The 6,100 miles of New England coastline are among the most beautiful in the world, but they are subject to the erosive forces of wind and tidal movement.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shore protection program helps to protect and restore shores and beaches from erosion damage.

Structures built by USACE include:

  • Breakwaters to intercept wave energy, providing protection for harbor and shoreline;
  • Groins which trap and retain sand, thus maintaining shore alignment and stability;
  • Revetments to absorb the energy of breaking waves; and
  • Seawalls to prevent bank erosion and heavy wave damage.

Other erosion control methods include:

  • Planting vegetation, such as beach grass, to trap and retain sand and
  • Nourishing beaches with sand to restore them and stop the water’s inland advance.

To date, USACE has constructed 40 shore protection projects along New England’s 355 miles of public beaches. Inland, Army Engineers have constructed projects to protect public property along New England’s rivers.

The following pages describe USACE's shore and bank protection projects in each New England state: