Lynnhaven River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Project Phase 1 Overview
The Lynnhaven River in the City of Virginia Beach is a waterway of national significance and was once renowned for its oyster population. For decades, the river had been impaired to a point where oysters and other fish caught could not be consumed. Through regional efforts, the river is rebounding. The LRBER Project is an ecosystem restoration project implemented by the US Army Corps of Engineers with the City of Virginia Beach as the local sponsor. Restoration goals include restoring 38 acres of wetland habitat, 31 acres of oyster reef, and 94 acres of subaquatic vegetation (SAV). Phase 1 consists of 5.5 acres of wetland restoration behind Princess Anne High School, 8 acres of oyster reef adjacent Dix Creek, and 2 acres SAV adjacent First Landing State Park.
The Phase 1 wetlands restoration site behind Princess Anne High School had been overtaken by invasive phragmites. Historic dredging of Thalia Creek had disposed of spoils, which created an ideal environment for phragmites to invade and crowd out biodiversity. The project regraded the wetlands to return tidal influence and replant with native wetland species such as spartina alterniflora. Virginia Beach City Public Schools was a key stakeholder throughout, providing easement for construction on school property and coordinating construction activities around the school schedule. An “Outdoor Living Resources Laboratory” provides students involvement opportunities such as planting a portion of the wetlands and continued monitoring of wetland health and growth.
Oyster reef establishment at Dix Creek utilized pre-fabricated 1-ft tall oyster ball structures to provide habitat for oysters and other diverse aquatic life. Significant coordination with the public was held during the planning process to ensure the reef would not pose any safety concerns for boating and recreation in the vicinity. Construction employed a highly efficient process using a barge, crane, and divers, which completed construction in half the scheduled duration.
Phase 1 SAV establishment was completed in coordination with VIMS and CBNEER. Two varieties of SAV were planted from seed and were monitored through multiple growing seasons to observe establishment, migration, and die-off. Observations from the monitoring report will be used to optimize planting of the remaining 92 acres of planned SAV restoration.
More information can be found at: https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/LynnhavenEco/
Author Bio
Jim has over 10 years engineering experience and serves as the manager of the TMDL program at the City of Virginia Beach, overseeing planning and implementation of water quality improvement projects and water quality monitoring initiatives.
Tarig has over 25 years engineering experience and serves as an engineer at the City of Virginia Beach. He is a project manager on several water quality improvement projects and monitoring efforts.
Heather is a biologist and program manager of the Lynnhaven River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Project for the US Army Corps of Engineers. Before the USACE, she worked at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on several ecosystem restoration efforts.
