Yellow River Bank Stabilization at the Little Gin Hole Landing: Managing Recreation, Restoration, and the Military Mission with Nature-Based Solutions
John “Alex” Fotheringham
Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, TX
Eglin AFB, FL
The second-largest bank stabilization project Eglin Natural Resources has done on the Yellow River, the restoration at Little Gin Hole landing will repair roughly 600 linear feet of shoreline. This project aims to reduce sedimentation that is currently smothering the endangered native mussels in the river. Using a combination of hard engineering and nature-based solutions, the project will greatly improve water quality for the mussels.
The project is a particular challenge given its location and the nature of the project. This project takes place at the Gin Hole boat landing on Eglin AFB, a very popular recreation spot for campers, boaters, and swimmers. Plus, the project takes place along a stretch of river used commonly by the 6th Ranger Battalion and the 7th Special Forces Group. Therefore, this project aims to merge concepts from restoration, recreation, and military activities all while protecting threatened and endangered species.
The current site conditions feature an eroding shoreline that is falling into the river at a rate of roughly 3 feet per year, dumping hundreds of tons of sediment into the river. The plan is to knock back the slope and create more floodplain to allow for water and sediment to disperse during large flood events. The bank itself will be armored using wood root-wad revetments, other woody debris, rip-rap, and eventually soil and coconut coir matting to retain the slopes. Living willow stakes will also be put in place once work is done to establish vegetation and armor the bank further. Cover crops of grass and other natives will be planted on site once construction has finished.
The presentation aims to highlight the lessons learned after the Mettsbluff Bank Stabilization last year, as well as highlight the coordination and challenges therein of having to deal with recreation, cultural resources, wildlife considerations, and upholding the military mission. Plus, it will highlight how nature-based solutions can prove to be as, if not more, effective as some modern hard armoring techniques. It will also show how such techniques can prove to be beneficial to endangered species, reducing erosion, and making a more resilient stream overall.
About John “Alex” Fotheringham
John “Alex” Fotheringham joined Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute in 2024 as a forestry research associate monitoring wetlands and erosion on Eglin Air Force Base. Alex collaborates with multiple parties in the 96th Civil Engineering Group on Eglin, Army Corps of Engineers, and private consulting and contracting groups around Northwest Florida. Alex monitors and explores different areas of the Eglin range for signs of habitat damage or threats to wetland species caused by human infrastructure development. He graduated from the University of Florida’s school of Forests, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Conservation after 3 years of schooling and participation in multiple research studies and projects with the University..