Coastal Erosion and Stormwater Pollution - Kachemak Sponge Project

The East Kachemak Drive area has shown some of the highest growth within the City of Homer, and yet it is also experiencing some of the highest coastal stormwater discharge concentrations and erosion rates within the City. Industrial stormwater runoff also poses a water quality concern for Kachemak Bay. The problems have caused a threat to the critical infrastructure of Kachemak Drive in this area, where much of Homer’s industrial area is located. This makes a managed retreat from the coastline impractical since it involves buying out properties and moving buildings threatened by erosion in one of the most densely developed areas in the City of Homer. The solutions here include using the remaining wetlands both as a bio-filter to clean the industrial stormwater currently being discharged directly into Kachemak Bay, while at the same time using this system to reduce the extremes of stormwater discharge itself.

This project has moved beyond the conceptual phase and the city is involved in property procurement. Coble Geophysical Services is providing design and research.