Shoreline reclamation apparatus and method

Abstract

A porous groin and method of use for restoring an eroding shoreline. The porous groin has at least two vertical supports placed in the seabed within the eroding water flow and a porous elongated barrier is attached to the supports such that the barrier is at least partially within the sediment-laden eroding water flow of the shoreline with the water flow passing through at least a portion of the barrier. The endmost seaside support is anchored to the seabed and the barrier has a lower edge which is retained proximate to the seabed. The porous barrier then causes the accretion of suspended solids within the water flow thereby restoring the eroding shoreline.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for use in restoring an eroding shoreline, the shoreline having an eroding water flow impacting thereon, the eroding water flow including suspended solids therein, the apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of spaced vertical supports each having a lower portion placed in the seabed within the eroding water flow and an upper portion of the support extended above the seabed within the water flow, and having an endmost shoreline vertical support and an endmost seaside vertical support, the endmost seaside vertical support being anchored to the seabed;    a porous elongated barrier having a top edge and a bottom edge, the barrier being suspended from the plurality of vertical supports within the eroding water flow;    the barrier having the bottom edge retained proximate to the seabed; and    wherein the porous elongated barrier causes the accretion of the suspended solids from the water flow thereby restoring the eroding shoreline.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the endmost seaside vertical support is anchored by a cable extending from the upper portion of the vertical support to an anchoring means in the seabed.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the anchoring means comprises at least one Danforth anchor.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the anchoring means comprises a weight on the seabed.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the endmost seaside vertical support is anchored by driving the endmost seaside vertical support substantially deeper into the seabed than the remaining plurality of spaced vertical supports.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the porous elongated barrier is held to the upper portion of the vertical support by an elastic member.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the porous elongated barrier is comprised of a flexible mesh.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the porous elongated barrier is reefable so as to raise the barrier bottom edge in the vertical direction.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the porous elongated barrier has at least one intermediate reefing line extending substantially horizontally along its length.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the porous elongated barrier is repositionable upon the vertical supports so as to raise the barrier bottom edge in the vertical direction.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the porous elongated barrier has a plurality of weights affixed thereto.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the spaced vertical supports has a rope cleat for attachment of the porous elongated barrier.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier bottom edge is retained proximate to the seabed with a weighted barrier bottom edge.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier bottom edge is retained proximate to the seabed by staking the bottom edge to the seabed in at least one location between the vertical supports.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the porous elongated barrier has a porosity that varies in a vertical direction.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of spaced vertical supports has a high visibility coating upon the upper portion thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the endmost vertical supports has a light reflective material affixed thereto.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the endmost vertical supports has a light affixed thereto.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the vertical supports have a monofilament line stretched therebetween above the top edge of the porous elongated barrier.  
     
     
         20 . A method of restoring an eroding shoreline having an eroding water flow impacting thereon, the eroding water flow including suspended solids therein, the method comprising the steps of: 
 placing a plurality of vertical supports in the seabed in the eroding water flow, with an endmost seaside vertical support being anchored in the seabed;    suspending from the vertical supports a porous elongated barrier having a top edge and a bottom edge, the bottom edge retained proximate to the seabed, and the porous elongated barrier in the eroding water flow;    accreting the suspended solids from the eroding water flow with the elongated barrier; and    periodically raising the bottom edge of the elongated barrier out of the accreted solids by partially extracting the plurality of vertical supports from the seabed.    
     
     
         21 . An apparatus of for use in restoring an eroding shoreline, the shoreline having an eroding water flow impacting thereon, the eroding water flow including suspended solids therein, the apparatus comprising: 
 a supporting means for supporting a barrier in the eroding water flow; the supporting means anchored in the seabed;    an accreting means for accreting sand suspended within the eroding water flow as the flow impacts the barrier, the accreting means supported on the supporting means within the eroding water flow; and    whereby the accreting means causes the accretion of the suspended solids from the water flow.