NOAA defines a living shoreline as a protected and stabilised shoreline made of natural materials such as plants, sand or rock, offered as an alternative to hard methods like riprap or bulkheads. In practice it might be a planted slope with a rock sill offshore, rather than a vertical wall. Some cities fold living shorelines into the same elevation rule as seawalls: the City of Miami standard, 6 ft NAVD88 citywide and 4 ft on the Miami River, covers seawalls, bulkheads and living shorelines alike. Whether one suits your lot depends on wave exposure, water depth, and what your city and the agencies will permit.
Source: NOAA National Ocean Service, What is a living shoreline? · Checked 2026-10
Which agencies are involved, what each one wants, and the order they want it in.
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