Investigation of the effectiveness of Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) for protecting shorelines from ship wake is increasingly important with continued development along the coast, especially when combined with sea level rise. Studies that investigate the wave energy dissipation capacity of different techniques and account for variation in context will lead to improvements and innovation in designed NNBF. Few studies have examined the performance of NNBF in protecting shorelines from ship wake. In this study of a low-sloping estuarine shoreline adjacent to a major shipping route, a natural design using coir logs and wooden staking was implemented in a T-head groin configuration. Pressure transducers and electromagnetic current meters were deployed over ∼1.5 months to investigate the energy dissipation and velocity attenuation capabilities of the installation. Results indicate that ship wakes account for 25%–50% of the total daily energy impacting the shoreline at the study site. Peak background velocities are typically over 50% smaller than the largest ship wake velocities. Field data and results of the fully nonlinear Boussinesq model, FUNWAVE-TVD, indicate that the installation is capable of decreasing energy impacting the shoreline by 10%–80% and is effective over the lower 50% of the tidal range and when submerged up to twice its height. Elevation surveys of the site indicate accrual of sediment within the installation, suggesting wave diffraction patterns promoting further accretion at the site over time. Observations indicate that coir logs may be effective in reducing wave energy from ship wakes but may fail under storm conditions in a moderate fetch confined channel. Findings from this study illustrate the opportunities and challenges nature-based solutions face in addressing ship wakes, and their ability to protect shorelines under high energy stressors.

Low-impact development (LID) is a planning and design strategy that addresses water quality and quantity while providing co-benefits in the urban and suburban landscape. The Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA) model estimates runoff and pollutant loadings using simple inputs of land use, soil type, and climatic data for the watershed-scale analysis of average annual runoff based on curve number analysis. Using Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, we screened 303 articles that included the search term “L-THIA”, identifying 47 where L-THIA was used as the primary research method. After review, articles were categorized on the basis of the primary purpose of the use of L-THIA, including site screening, future scenarios and long-term impacts, site planning and design, economic impacts, model verification and calibration, and broader applications including policy development or flood mitigation. A growing body of research documents the use of L-THIA models across landscapes in applications such as the simulations of pollutant loadings for land use change scenarios and the evaluation of designs and cost-effectiveness. While the existing literature demonstrates that L-THIA models are a useful tool, future directions should include more innovative applications such as intentional community engagement and a focus on equity, climate change impacts, and the return on investment and performance of LID practices to address gaps in knowledge.