The Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) program has released a new special report, Engineering With Nature® Proving Grounds Innovation Handbook, showcasing innovative natural and nature-based solutions being explored across EWN Proving Grounds throughout the United States. Produced by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), the handbook highlights how engineering, science, and collaboration can work together to deliver economic, ecological, and social benefits through resilient infrastructure and landscape-scale thinking.
Inside the Handbook
The publication presents a collection of conceptual strategies and project opportunities developed in collaboration with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) districts, technical experts, landscape architects, scientists, and partner organizations. Featured projects span diverse environments including California’s coastal systems, the Gulf Coast, Mid-Atlantic estuaries, and Great Lakes shorelines.
“The goal is to make incorporating EWN common practice during project development to ensure natural influences are considered throughout the lifespan of a project,” writes Dr. Jeffrey K. King, national lead and program manager for Engineering With Nature®, in the report foreword.
Featured Engineering With Nature® Approaches
The handbook highlights practical, nature-based strategies that enhance infrastructure performance while delivering ecological and community benefits, including:
- Beneficial use of dredged material
- Floodplain expansion and river reconnection
- Strategic sediment placement and mobilization
- Shoreline restoration
- Ecosystem restoration and resilience planning
- Community engagement and social connectivity
The report also demonstrates how Engineering With Nature® principles can support flood risk management, habitat restoration, navigation, and infrastructure resilience while strengthening connections between communities and natural systems.
Highlighted Projects
The handbook showcases real-world Engineering With Nature® projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to ecosystem restoration, sediment management, and resilient infrastructure, including:
- Floodplain expansion concepts along California’s Pajaro River
- Sediment choreography strategies in Humboldt Bay
- Marsh nourishment and restoration in Mobile Bay
- Shoreline resilience solutions for Fort Morgan Peninsula
- Restoration and recreation enhancements along South Bay shorelines
The publication was developed by Anchor QEA in collaboration with the EWN-LA Design Research Initiative and incorporates research and insights from the ERDC Engineering With Nature® team. Contributors include collaborators from Auburn University, the University of Virginia, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Dredge Research Collaborative.
The Engineering With Nature® Proving Grounds Innovation Handbook is intended to inspire continued collaboration and encourage broader implementation of natural infrastructure approaches across USACE missions and beyond.
Suggested Report Citation: King, J. K., A. S. Tritinger, M. Strevig, T. Ruswick, R. Holmes, S. Burkholder, B. Davis, and R. Mohan. 2026. Engineering With Nature® Proving Grounds Innovation Handbook. ERDC SR-26-1. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center.
