A FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ECOLIGICALY ENHANCED FEATURES
ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE BRONX, NEW YORK
Andrew Rella1 and Jon K. Miller2*
1
Davidson Laboratory, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson,
Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA. arella@stevens.edu
2
Davidson Laboratory, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson,
Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA. jmiller@stevens.edu
* Presenter
ABSTRACT
As part of The Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines Project, a multi-year effort lead by the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, a
forensic analysis to investigate the site conditions of 6 shoreline stabilization treatments, both traditional
and nontraditional, that were impacted by Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011 and Post-Tropical Storm
Sandy in 2012. Considering shorelines that were severely damaged, as well as those with only minimal
damage, were selected for the analysis. Project objectives included; determining patterns among
structures that survived and those that did not; determining which aspects of structural maintenance lead
to the failure/survival; determining the potential impacts from extreme waves, water levels, and increased
currents; and determining the impact of vegetation on structure failure/survival. The following tasks were
completed as part of the forensic analysis: a review of previous shoreline stabilization attempts, a
characterization of the conditions at each site, the collection of engineering/design data, field data
collection, and hind-casting of the storm conditions. The final project locations were selected from a list
of twenty potential sites compiled by the research team, with the final selections made with the assistance
of a technical advisory panel composed of engineers and landscape architects. Critical factors in site
selection included ensuring a diverse cross-section of sites, site access, and the identification of a local
contact with knowledge of the design process. The final sites which were selected included: Coxsackie
Boat Launch, Esopus Meadows Preserve, Oak Point and Hunt’s Point Landing, Habirshaw Park, and
Irvington Park. Coxsackie, Esopus, and Habirshaw, experienced minimal damage during the storms
considered, while Hunt’s Point Landing, Oak Point, and Irvington Park were more severely impacted.
Some of the common factors that led to the failure of projects included: unexpected impacts from debris
during storm events, use of undersized and/or not properly graded stone, use of improper slopes, and the
failure to account for ice. During Sandy, erosion and scour caused by large floating debris was determined
to be the primary cause of damage at several of the sites. Steep slopes were impacted by a combination of
large waves and large heavy debris that combined to scour away soil and vegetation. Additionally, the
maturity of the vegetation at several of the sites was determined to be a critical factor in the survival of the
plantings and the overall resilience of the sites. Common themes amongst those structures that survived
the storm with minimal damage included: sloping terraces, appropriately sized and placed structural
elements for armoring. Adaptive management and project maintenance were identified as key factors of
survival at several sites.
BIODr. Miller is a Research Associate Professor of coastal engineering in the Department of Civil,
Environmental, and Ocean Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. Dr. Miller received a
Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Stevens, before studying under Bob Dean at the University
of Florida where he received his Masters and PhD degrees in Coastal Engineering. Dr. Miller’s research
focuses on coastal processes and storm impacts as well as living shorelines. In addition to his academic
appointment, Dr. Miller also currently serves as the New Jersey Sea Grant Coastal Processes Specialist
and the Assistant Director of the New Jersey Coastal Protection Technical Assistance Service.