Rebuilding with Resilience

• Ocean Shore, Sediment Flow — The Ocean Shore interventions included using sediment management
such as beach nourishment and the creation of a sand engine. 1 The sand engine would use natural sediment
transport processes to build up beaches along the barrier island and beach nourishment and dune creation would
be used to buffer storm surges.
• Barrier Island, Smart Barrier — The barrier island interventions called for the installation of a protective
landscaped dike system integrated with recreational space to provide protection from storm surges for the City
of Long Beach, the most populous town in the county. The proposal also called for the construction of a waterretention
park to manage stormwater and better connect the community to the water.
• The Marsh, Eco-Edge — In Hewlett Bay, the proposal called for marsh restoration to provide natural flood
protection. The proposal called for marshes to be restored with additional grade to promote adaptation to future
increases in sea level. New marsh islands would be created to reduce wave action, enhance bay ecology, and
introduce new recreational opportunities for residents.
• The Lowlands, Eco-Edge — Along the water’s edge, the proposal called for ringed levees, closeable dams
and storm gates to be built to provide protection from storm surges. The proposal also called for infrastructure
and homes to be elevated.
• Uplands — In the uplands, the proposal called for a combination of approaches:
• A “Slow Streams” approach, which would use a combination of green and gray stormwater management
interventions to delay and store water before it is drained to the bay. These interventions would both reduce
flood risks from interior flooding and improve water quality in the bay. Riverfront parks and stormwater
swales would be constructed along rivers and creeks to provide more room for the water to flow. The use of
a sluice gate was suggested to reduce flooding from storm surges. (A sluice gate is a kind of floodgate that
can be opened during regular conditions to allow for normal streamflow, but can be closed during storm
events to provide protection from storm surge.). Greenways and bike lanes would be constructed in riverfront
parks to increase recreational opportunities and access to the bay.
• The proposal also called for the development of a “Green Corridor” that would build green infrastructure
improvements and bike lanes along Sunrise Highway. “High and dry” mixed-use development was also
called for along the highway to provide opportunities for the development of affordable and resilient housing
near transit centers.
For the first phase of implementation, the design team suggested that the grantee consider implementing a range
of projects to test different interventions across a diversity of sites. The recommended pilot projects included
installing a sand engine at Jones Inlet (the opening between the barrier islands of Long Beach Island and Jones
Beach Island); building a dike and water-retention park in the City of Long Beach; enhancing wetlands and
building ringed-levees at the Freeport Waterfront; and installing sluice gates and river improvements on the Mill
River at Rockville Centre and East Rockaway.
The design team estimated that the capital expenditures needed to construct all of the components called for by
the proposal would cost approximately $961 million and $177 million for just the components along the Mill
River. 2 The grantees were allocated $125 million to implement the Slow Streams component of the proposal.
52 Chapter 4: Living with the Bay | Rebuilding with Resilience GEORGETOWN CLIMATE CENTER