This project will deliver design resources and implementation guidance to help USACE and partner agencies integrate Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) into flood risk and erosion management in arid and semi-arid regions. It addresses both technical and institutional barriers, ensuring greater adoption and impact of EWN practices in these challenging environments.
In the arid Southwest, conventional engineering solutions—such as riprap and concrete structures—can accelerate channel degradation, reduce ecosystem services, and present long-term sustainability issues. While NNBF solutions have been demonstrated in the region and are federally encouraged, they remain underutilized in USACE projects due to a lack of region-specific guidance and cultural barriers within project delivery processes.
This research responds to Statement of Need 2154 – Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) Playbook for the Arid Southwest, which identifies the need for practical, transferable tools to help practitioners confidently implement NNBF in desert stream systems.
Research Approach
Expected Outcomes
This research will help USACE Planning and Regulatory Divisions deliver robust, cost-effective solutions. By reducing construction costs, broadening project benefits, and improving resilience, the project will elevate USACE’s capacity to serve communities in the Southwest.
Partnerships & Collaboration
Led by researchers from ERDC’s EL, CHL, and CERL, in partnership with the USACE Albuquerque District (CESPA), this project draws on expertise and case studies from across Federal, Tribal, state, and local partners, including USDA NRCS, USGS, FEMA, and several regional organizations and Tribes.
Engineering With Nature® is the intentional alignment of natural and engineering processes to efficiently and effectively deliver economic, ecological, and social benefits through collaboration.
