Ecology Action Centre uses hay bales to protect Northwest Arm shoreline

It didn't work so well for the three little pigs, but hay is showing itself to be more resilient than rock in protecting eroding shorelines in some Nova Scotia areas.

In May, the Ecology Action Centre placed about 100 hay bales in front of St. Mary's Boat Club — at the bottom of a steep hill fronting the Northwest Arm — to protect the soil being washed away by runoff and waves.

Robin Tress, the centre's coastal adaptation co-ordinator, says the Living Shoreline project has been a success.

"The point of the hay bales is that they are pretty big and pretty heavy, so we've staked them down with some live willow to hold them there in place," she told CBC's Information Morning on Tuesday.

"Hay is relatively cheap compared to the soil we're trying to protect on this site."

The problem with rock walls — or "armouring" to stop erosion — is that the stones shift and need to be repaired regularly, Tress said. There's also the expense, plus the movement can create sinkholes and further erosion in and around spaces between the rocks.

Tress said hay bales were also used on three properties along Nova Scotia's North Shore with success.

One homeowner, who is selling her place, said hers is the best shoreline compared to her neighbours, Tress said.

"The hay bales are doing a couple of things. They're dissipating the wave energy, they're also protecting the soil because if anything is going to get eroded at this point, it is the hay. Hay bales are also full of tons of seeds so as they start to degrade, the seeds will start to grow providing more roots to hold the soil down," she said.

"It is this amazing, very elegant solution, I think."

The Ecology Action Centre is hoping the province will support the hay bale erosion solution, primarily through legislation.