Shoreline Protection in Ontario
Shoreline protection keeps a bank from being taken by waves, ice and high water. This page explains what a revetment is, why shorelines fail, the options for a waterfront owner, what the work costs, and where to read about your own lake. We supply and install shoreline stone across our service area.
What a revetment is
A revetment is a sloped layer of stone placed over a bank so that waves break against the stone rather than the soil. It is built in layers, from the bottom up. The toe stone is set first, below the lakebed, because a revetment fails from the bottom. Core stone forms the bed, filter fabric keeps the bank from washing out through the stone, and the armour layer takes the wave impact. Cap stone locks the top of the slope.
Why shorelines fail
Several forces work on a shoreline, and most failures involve more than one of them.
- Waves. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority lists wave action among the drivers of bluff erosion on Lake Ontario, alongside runoff, over-steepening of the slope, precipitation, wind and freeze and thaw.
- Ice. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority names the break-up of the ice sheet in spring 2018, with storm surge, as its most recent significant shoreline damage event on Lake Simcoe.
- High water. The International Joint Commission reports that Lake Ontario reached record highs in 2017 and 2019 and that significant damages followed. Georgian Bay sits within a water body whose monthly average level has varied by about 1.9 metres between its record low and record high.
- Boat wake. Transport Canada lists bank erosion among the reasons a local authority may ask for restrictions on how vessels operate, and says reduced wakes could cut the cost of shoreline degradation and broken docks.
The options
The right treatment depends on the bank, the exposure and what the approvals allow. A site visit settles it.
Armour stone revetment
Large armour stone laid on a graded slope, over filter fabric and core stone, with the toe stone keyed below the lakebed. This is the treatment for open-water wave exposure and for banks that cannot be allowed to move.
Toe protection
Stone placed at the base of the bank, where a shoreline most often starts to fail. Whether toe protection is enough on its own depends on the height and condition of the bank and the wave exposure at the site.
Regrading and planting
Not every bank needs stone. Where the exposure is low, regrading the slope and planting it can be enough. Ontario policy points the same way in places: the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, for example, says shore alteration for stabilization is to use natural treatments such as planting and bioengineering where practical.
What shoreline work costs
Shoreline work typically runs from about $500 to $20,000 per linear foot, depending on the scope of work, the height of the bank, the size of the lake and the wave exposure the site takes. Permit fees are extra. Every project is quoted after a site visit.
Permits and approvals
Shoreline work in Ontario typically requires approval from the local conservation authority before construction begins. Depending on the lake and the location, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada and the municipality can also be involved. We can help prepare and submit the application. Permit fees are the property owner's responsibility. Approvals should be in place before any stone is ordered.
Read Shoreline permits in Ontario: who approves what for how each body fits in and how to find out which apply to your property.
Published shoreline work
Our published shoreline work is on Lake Ontario at Grimsby and on Lake Erie. The Grimsby work is a series of bluff revetments averaging roughly 30 feet in height, built on a 3 to 1 slope. The Lake Erie project involved approximately 175 tractor-trailer loads of stone. See the photographs and scale figures on Shoreline projects.
Shoreline by lake
Each lake has its own water levels, its own conditions on the shore and its own set of approving bodies. Choose yours:
Planning shoreline work? Call 1-855-787-8663 or Request a Quote.
What to send us: photos of the shoreline, the approximate length in feet, the lake and the township.