Techniques for using plants in coastal restoration and protection . One technique is to construct levees in a rectangular pattern so that the ends do not touch one another. This method allows marine animals to move about. If the corners of the rectangles were enclosed, animals would be excluded. Vegetation is planted on the levees to protect them from erosion and to produce biomass.
Tides move sediment into the leveed areas which is then deposited due to the quiet waters within.
This results in building marsh where open water previously existed. One big disadvantage to this technique is the expense in levee construction. Attempts at reducing the cost of levee construction make use of plants to create levees. In this technique California bulrush was used because it will grow in water as much as 36 inches deep. Plants were planted in rows on 10 ft. centers with rows 25 feet apart.