In recent years, one of the most successful initiatives of USACE has been Engineering With Nature®. This international program leverages natural systems and processes to broaden the services, benefits, and value that infrastructure projects contribute to the nation.
January 10-12, Dr. David Pittman, director of the Engineer Research and Development Centers (ERDC) along with other ERDC leaders visited the Jacksonville District (SAJ) to learn more about the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program (SFERP) and how EWN can be applied.
The SFERP’s Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the largest environmental restoration program in history. Through congressional appropriations, USACE has invested $2.3 billion to date into the SFERP. As more and more work is done in Central and Southern Florida, the value of EWN continues to rise.
The SAJ team organized a fantastic walking, talking, flying, and boating tour in the Everglades to highlight the dedicated effort of many organizations, over decades. The tour included six sites visited during the three-days, including the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Restoration Project, Everglades Mangrove Migration Assessment, Water Conservation Area 3A, Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment, Stormwater Treatment Areas and the Central Everglades Planning Project.
The South Atlantic Division (SAD) and Jacksonville District (SAJ) are champions for research and development and are demonstrating the use of EWN to solve many hard challenges! ERDC leaders learned about restoration and resiliency efforts and look forward to supporting SAD and SAJ in the future.
