Fishery Research Center

Shoreline improvements were needed at the Fisheries Research Center for the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures. The existing ponds were built in the 1960s with vertical concrete walls. The walls had deteriorated and muskrats were able to burrow around the walls, compounding the erosion problem. The deteriorated concrete walls had become a safety issue for the research team and the maintenance crews. The walls needed to be replaced.

The design team wanted to permanently armor the shoreline with a product that would protect against soil erosion but also support vegetation growth. Vegetated concrete block mats were chosen as the solution for the shoreline erosion protection.

The shoreline slopes were graded to a uniform 3:1 slope and seeded with grass seed prior to installing the concrete mats. 8' x 30' long Flexamat® Standard rolls were installed around the perimeter of the research ponds. These concrete mat rolls weighed approximately 2400 lbs. and could be handled with smaller construction equipment.

Grasses started growing within the concrete block mats within a few weeks. During a three year follow-up visit, the concrete block mats were hardly visible, covered with vegetation growth.