Treatment 6: Coir Roll
Rolls of coconut husk fiber ("coir rolls") were staked in place about two feet off from the shoreline edge. The rolls were 12 inches in diameter, with coconut mesh webbing holding the fibers together in a roll. Wooden oak stakes were driven one to two feet into the lakebed on either side of the roll, and then rope was laced between the stakes to keep the coir roll from floating away during high water events. Between the shoreline and coir roll, compacted planting soil was placed to create a shallow water planting area. Deep-rooted native vegetation was planted up to five feet upslope on the existing grades.
The coir roll material will naturally degrade over time -- usually between five and ten years. During this time period, the plants added along the shoreline will continue to mature, and by the time the coir completely degrades, the fully grown plants will provide an effective barrier against erosion.
Treatment 6: Cross-sectional view
Treatment 6: Coir roll planting
Installation of coir rolls requires comparatively little grading work either above or below the normal water level. Small, but important, shallow water planting zones are created and these plantings provide wildlife habitat that previously may not have existed.
Treatment 6: Before shoreline restoration
Treatment 6: After shoreline restoration
