Shoreline Protection

Docks and Shoreline

... or do you want to do it twice?

Shoreline Protection is paramount to the overall health of the Lake. Sediment washing into Lake Williamstown is one of the biggest water quality problems we have.

Sediment muddies up the water, kills or weakens fish and other organisms, and ruins the wildlife habitat. And the steep slopes of Lake Williamstown’s lakefront require more erosion prevention controls than flat sites located away from waterways.

In fact the KY Division of Water estimates that between

80-100 tons of soil per acre per year empty into Lake Williamstown from unmanaged construction sites.

Because of this accelerated erosion, the City of Williamstown (COW) works with and reports all land disturbing activity along Lake Williamstown and its contributory streams to the Kentucky E.P.A. Division of Water (KDOW) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). So in conjucnction with these regulatory agencies, the City of Williamstown requires all lakefront homes to have shoreline protection in place before building, adding to, or repairing a dock.

Please note...

All construction

except pre-approved (see Dock Permits) construction

docks
shoreline protection
walkways/stairs

must stay 50' away from the Lake and requires properly installed silt fencing.

Types of Shorelines permitted on Lake Williamstown:

1. Class II Channel Liner with Geotech Fabric (figure 1)

2. Pre-cast Modular Block retaining wall (figure2)

3. Riparian vegitation

1. Typical Class II Channel Liner installation

Figure 1

Geo-tech Fabric is a

textile made from synthetic fibers, usually nonbiodegradable. Geotextiles can be woven or nonwoven and have varying degrees of porosity. They are used as moisture barriers, for separation or reinforcement of soils, for filtration, and for drainage.

"FYI...many subject matter experts say the non-woven is

easier to work with and does not silt up as easy."

Jeanne Hartinger, Lakefront Administrator

Class II Channel Liner is a

term used by the KY Department of Transportation to define a size of Rip-Rap Rock. Therefore the majority of rock must be between 6" - 18".

"FYI...at project end, you should not

be able to see any soil under the Rip-Rap."

Jeanne Hartinger, Lakefront Administrator

Toe Key is a

pile of the Class II Channel liner located at the base of the slope at the water basin. A Toe Key keeps the rock on the shore from slipping.

Grading

Also, note that the Class II and geotech shoreline protection should be installed on a 2:1 slope.

If grading is required, best managment practices suggest that hill side is serrated or rough to hold the rock.
Check the weather forcast prior to construction and do not engage in grading when rain or harsh weather is anticipated.
Once grading is complete you must hay, sod and seed immediately.

Doing it Twice

means willy-nilly thinking that you can start a construction project without planning or informing the proper regulatory agencies. If you do not inform regulatory agencies, you will be ordered to STOP work and be required to midigate the impact.

2. Typical Block Retaining Wall installation

Figure 2

Best Management Pratice for

Pre-Cast Modular Block Wall

The KY Division of Water and the Army Corps of Engineers prefer the Class II Channel Liner to this wall, simply because wall construction creates a larger environmental impact and reduces the water resource.

Retaining Walls should be used in the event that land conditions are not conducive to riparian shoreline protection; i.e. behind existing docks or on extremely steep slopes. And they must be constructed as close to exisitng shoreline as possible; absolutely no land building.

The figure above depicts a properly constructed retaining wall. Many existing retaining walls have not stood the test of time therefore take note of figure 2 before constructing a retaining wall.

Notice in fiqure 2: