Nansemond Shoals is a shoreline Nutrient Bank located along a rapidly eroding section of waterfront in Suffolk, Virginia. Once active farmland, the site had recently been subdivided for residential development until significant bluff erosion, averaging five feet per year, posed serious threats to the properties’ future.

To protect the shoreline and support long-term ecological resilience, RES partnered with the developer to transform the area into a living shoreline. Agreements and conservation easements were secured across 11 contiguous waterfront parcels, laying the groundwork for long-term restoration.

The project uses a hybrid approach that blends structural and natural techniques:

• Offshore breakwaters and a rock revetment help buffer wind and wave energy.

• Nearly one acre of beach nourishment and vegetated marsh creation restores the footprint of a historic marsh visible in past aerial imagery.

• Steep 20-foot bluffs are regraded to a stable 3:1 slope to reduce erosion and support plantings.

• Marsh zones include low marsh, high marsh, and salt scrub habitats, replicating the surrounding natural shoreline.

• Native vegetation, including herbs, shrubs, and trees, is planted above the revetment to enhance both aesthetics and ecological function.

Although developed internally rather than for an external client, Nansemond Shoals followed a formal permitting and regulatory schedule to support the initial nutrient credit release in December 2024. Despite unexpected hurdles related to local permitting and land ownership transfers, the project stayed on track thanks to prompt resolution and strategic planning.