Soft engineering
Encyclopedia
In civil engineering
of shorelines, soft engineering is the use of ecological principles and practices to reduce erosion
and achieve the stabilization and safety of shorelines and the area surrounding rivers, while enhancing habitat, improving aesthetics, and saving money. Soft engineering is achieved by using vegetation and other materials to soften the land-water interface, thereby improving ecological features without compromising the engineered integrity of the shoreline or river edges.
Unlike hard engineering
where typically has no habitat value for fish or wildlife, soft engineering incorporates habitat for fish and wildlife. The Detroit River
is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Great Lakes Basin
. In 1998, the U.S.–Canada State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) identified the Detroit River–Lake St. Clair
ecosystem as one of 20 Biodiversity Investment Areas in the entire Great Lakes Basin ecosystem with exceptional diversity of plants, fish, and birds, and the requisite habitats to support them. The State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference went on to call for special efforts to protect these unique ecological features. Many people who appreciate the outdoors know that the Detroit River supports a nationally renowned sport fishery. For example, the City of Trenton
, located on the Trenton Channel at the lower end of the Detroit River, hosted a major walleye fishing tournament called "Walleye Week" in 1999. "Walleye Week" attracted people from all over North America to compete in the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Tournament, the Team Walleye Tournament, and the Michigan Walleye Tournament offering $240,000 in prize money. It is estimated that walleye
fishing alone brings in $1,000,000 to the economy of communities along the lower Detroit River each spring.
Another reason why soft engineering practices should be encouraged is because it is well recognized that there is limited public access to the Detroit River, particularly on the United States side. Use of multiple-objective soft engineering of shorelines will increase public access to the river.
There are also economic benefits associated with use of soft engineering. In general, soft engineering of shorelines is typically less expensive than hard engineering of shorelines. Additionally, long-term maintenance costs of soft engineering are generally lower because soft engineering uses living structures, which tend to mature and stabilize with
time.
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
of shorelines, soft engineering is the use of ecological principles and practices to reduce erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and achieve the stabilization and safety of shorelines and the area surrounding rivers, while enhancing habitat, improving aesthetics, and saving money. Soft engineering is achieved by using vegetation and other materials to soften the land-water interface, thereby improving ecological features without compromising the engineered integrity of the shoreline or river edges.
Unlike hard engineering
Hard engineering
In civil engineering of shorelines, hard engineering is generally defined as controlled disruption of natural processes by using man-made structures.-Examples:...
where typically has no habitat value for fish or wildlife, soft engineering incorporates habitat for fish and wildlife. The Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the Great Lakes Basin
Great Lakes Basin
The Great Lakes Basin consists of the Great Lakes and the surrounding lands of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada, whose direct surface runoff and watersheds form a large...
. In 1998, the U.S.–Canada State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) identified the Detroit River–Lake St. Clair
Lake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair is a fresh-water lake named after Clare of Assisi that lies between the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan, and its midline also forms the boundary between Canada and the United States of America. Lake St. Clair includes the Anchor Bay along the Metro Detroit coastline...
ecosystem as one of 20 Biodiversity Investment Areas in the entire Great Lakes Basin ecosystem with exceptional diversity of plants, fish, and birds, and the requisite habitats to support them. The State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference went on to call for special efforts to protect these unique ecological features. Many people who appreciate the outdoors know that the Detroit River supports a nationally renowned sport fishery. For example, the City of Trenton
Trenton, Michigan
Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,853...
, located on the Trenton Channel at the lower end of the Detroit River, hosted a major walleye fishing tournament called "Walleye Week" in 1999. "Walleye Week" attracted people from all over North America to compete in the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Tournament, the Team Walleye Tournament, and the Michigan Walleye Tournament offering $240,000 in prize money. It is estimated that walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
fishing alone brings in $1,000,000 to the economy of communities along the lower Detroit River each spring.
Another reason why soft engineering practices should be encouraged is because it is well recognized that there is limited public access to the Detroit River, particularly on the United States side. Use of multiple-objective soft engineering of shorelines will increase public access to the river.
There are also economic benefits associated with use of soft engineering. In general, soft engineering of shorelines is typically less expensive than hard engineering of shorelines. Additionally, long-term maintenance costs of soft engineering are generally lower because soft engineering uses living structures, which tend to mature and stabilize with
time.