Innovative Living Shoreline Projects Receive 12 National and Regional Awards

January 5, 2024

For more than a decade, T&M has used innovative design methods to reestablish shorelines and protect communities from future erosion, storms and major weather challenges. Mystic and Parkertown Beach, Iowa Court & South Green, and Berkeley Island County Park are three of T&M’s significant living shoreline projects that have collectively been awarded a dozen project awards in the past five years.

Berkeley Island County Park in Berkeley, NJ, was devastated by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and required extensive restoration and improvements. Prior to the storm, the use of living shorelines in New Jersey for shoreline stabilization had been limited and minimal guidance existed regarding the design of this innovative technique. The final design was developed through a collaborative process involving Stevens, T&M, Ocean County and the NJDEP. This project and process helped refine guidelines for future shoreline stabilization projects. Being one of the first living shorelines in the state, it served as a pilot project. Stevens, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, Barnegat Bay Partnership and other environmental organizations have been actively studying the living shoreline and for years to come.

2018 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New Jersey Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received Honor and Grand Honor Award

2019 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), National Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received National Engineering Excellence Award

2019 – Engineering New Record (ENR), NEW YORK REGION
Best Projects Awards – Received New York Region Best Project Award (small projects category)

2019 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), National Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received Nation Recognition Award

Little Egg Harbor and Tuckerton, NJ, historically experience flooding and erosion caused by severe storms including Tropical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy. Due to the high-density residential and commercial development of these seaport towns, evaluating and reducing potential risk was crucial. Iowa Court and South Green Street shorelines were deteriorating and required a solution to eliminate erosion and restore tidal marsh and beach areas. T&M introduced an economical and environmentally considerate solution by designing a marsh sill along the shoreline, restoring and replenishing over 1 acre of tidal marsh and wetlands, stabilizing the beaches, and strengthening the natural ecosystems to benefit fish and wildlife.

2019 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New Jersey Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received Honor Award and Grand Honor Award (non-transportation category)

2019 – New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers (NJSME)
Municipal Project of the Year Awards – Received 2nd Place Winner

2020 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), National Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received (National Recognition Award, non-transportation)

2020 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New Jersey Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received Grand Honor Excellence Award

2020 – Engineering New Record (ENR), New York Region
Best Projects Awards – Received ENR NY’s Best Green Project Award, New York Best Projects Awards

Situated on the Great Bay and Barnegat Bay, Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ, has two marquee public beaches. In recent years Mystic Beach and Parkertown Beach had become severely compromised. Erosion and loss of usable beach area was negatively affecting the Township’s waterfront open space. Beach restoration improvements were proposed and included replenishing both public beaches to the 1977 shoreline limits, improving habitats, protecting uplands, and providing wave attenuation. T&M used a combination of living shoreline habitats, including stone breakwaters and jetties, 12,000 CY of beach/sand replenishment and grading, and tidal marsh restoration.

2023 – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New Jersey Chapter
Engineering Excellence Awards – Received Honor Award (non-transportation).

2023 – Alliance for Action-New Jersey
Distinguished Engineering Awards – Received a Distinguished Engineering Award

2023 – New Jersey Society Of Municipal Engineers (NJSME)
Municipal Project of the Year Awards  – Received 1st Place Winner Award

T&M’s capabilities:

  • Living shoreline design
  • Beach/sand replenishment and grading
  • Tidal marsh replacement and restoration
  • Project management
  • Coastal engineering
  • Environmental permitting
  • Stormwater management improvements
  • Resiliency Measures Feasibility Study
  • Preliminary Survey
  • Erosion elimination and marsh restoration