It might seem strange to say soft shorelines and armour stone in the same sentence. In the past, steel sheet walls were often used to protect shorelines from erosion. We have moved to the use of armour stone for this purpose. The cracks and gaps between the armour stone provides plenty of places for small fish to hide from predators and a place for soil to accumulate and provide a base for shoreline plants to thrive. In this way we can protect the shoreline from erosion while providing much needed habitat.
The SCRCA has been working with municipalities to enhance shoreline habitats by replacing failing steel sheet walls with armour stone revetments and creating environmentally friendly habitat pods. The depressed area between armour stone walls are filled with gravel and soil mixture for planting of native shrubs and grasses. This creates aquatic and terrestrial habitat diversity along the shoreline with increased recreational opportunities for the public along this section of the shoreline.
Armour stone walls have been established along the St. Clair River in: Point Edward (under the Blue Water Bridge); Mission Park in Sarnia; and Guthrie and Cathcart Parks in St. Clair Township. So far, wildlife seems to be benefiting from the upgrade in ways that would not have been possible when the vertical sheet walls were present. Turtles use armour stone rocks for basking, mink more easily hunt the shoreline and larval fish use small cracks between the stones for cover. In the summer, the native wildflower plots are active with pollinators and other beneficial insects.