Colley Bay (Norfolk)
Colley Bay: The Shoreline Restoration and Resilient Infrastructure Project
The Shoreline Restoration and Resilient Infrastructure project in Norfolk focuses on addressing critical resiliency issues on Old Dominion University’s campus, specifically around Rogers Hall. A team of Biological Systems Engineering students from Virginia Tech collaborated to develop solutions for the City, prioritizing the restoration of the deteriorating shoreline along Colley Bay.
Three key challenges were identified: a failing retaining wall at the main outfall contributing to erosion, frequent flooding of the adjacent ODU parking lot, and an outdated boardwalk that exacerbates these problems by blocking sunlight, which impedes wetland plant growth. The students' final designs proposed the installation of a living shoreline to stabilize the shoreline, an enhanced riparian buffer to mitigate parking lot flooding, and modifications to the boardwalk to reduce its environmental impact and promote vegetation growth, creating a sustainable and resilient infrastructure for the future.
View the student website of the project below:
