Mahone Bay Living Shoreline

The Town of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, storm surge, and increased precipitation. These effects result in flooding, coastal erosion, and an increase in contaminated stormwater runoff entering the harbour.

To help protect Mahone Bay from flooding and mitigate coastal erosion, Coastal Action proposed the 'Flood Protection and Shoreline Stabilization Project', better known as the ‘Living Shoreline’. This project builds on the conceptual designs produced by CBCL in 2016 in the Flood Prevention and Shoreline Enhancement Plan.

Check out the video below to learn how to navigate the Mahone Bay interactive flood map made by 3D Wave Design that highlights the living shoreline project.

Click Here To Access The Interactive 3D Project Map

Living Shoreline Components

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Rock Sills

A hard engineering structure that runs parallel to the shoreline. Rock sills help reduce wave energy and storm surge impact.

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Tidal Wetland

Fills the area between the rock sill and the shoreline with planted native species. Tidal wetlands naturally filter stormwater runoff and reduce storm surge and wave energy. They additionally create valuable coastal habitat for fish and bird species.

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Vegetated Bank

Graded areas planted with native shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Vegetated banks help to stabilize the soil.

The Living Shoreline is expanding!

See our Project Update Page for details!

Project Funders

Logo of the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund featuring overlapping leaf shapes in shades of blue and green with the organization name in dark blue text.

This project is supported by the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, delivered by the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities on behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia.

The pilot demonstration site has been generously sponsored by Intact Financial Corporation.

The word 'intact' in black lowercase letters, surrounded by red brackets on a white background.

Project Partners

Funded in part by the Government of Canada.

Government of Canada logo, with the Canadian flag above sitting above the word Canada
TD Bank logo with text 'ID Ready Commitment' in black and green on a white background.

This project is supported by TD through the TD Ready Commitment.

  • Illustration of a church and town buildings with green trees behind, alongside the text "Town of Mahone Bay."
  • A sketch of a man playing baseball, swinging a bat at a ball.
  • TransCoastal Adaptations logo with colored squares and text indicating a focus on nature-based solutions.
  • Saint Mary's University logo with a stylized shield and a missing person badge, logo text in purple.
  • Logo for CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists with the letters "cbwes" in blue, featuring a leaf design and accompanied by the text "CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists".