The USACE Philadelphia District spans approximately 550 miles of waterways, 150 miles of coastline, and 1.1 million acres of wetlands and encompasses portions of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. As part of its navigation mission, the district dredges major rivers, coastal inlets, and the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway and manages the placement of associated DM, often in a beneficial manner.
The Philadelphia District became an Engineering With Nature (EWN) Proving Ground in 2015, demonstrating its commitment to integrating natural processes with engineering practices to achieve sustainable and resilient infrastructure. As a Proving Ground, the Philadelphia District serves as a model for other USACE districts by actively incorporating EWN principles in projects that deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits.
The District has led several innovative efforts, especially in response to coastal challenges following Hurricane Sandy. These include projects focused on the beneficial use of dredged material for marsh restoration and habitat creation along the New Jersey coast. Notable successes include creating nesting bird habitats on Ring Island and using thin-layer placement to restore marshes near Avalon and Mordecai Island.
One of the Philadelphia District’s flagship initiatives is the Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab, a partnership with the State of New Jersey, The Wetlands Institute, and other collaborators. The Innovation Lab advances research on coastal resilience, using dredged material to restore marshes and habitats in Cape May County, New Jersey. These projects aim to improve marsh restoration techniques and provide critical habitats for endangered species while enhancing coastal resilience.
Through these efforts, the Philadelphia District continues to develop and apply EWN principles to address challenges in coastal restoration, habitat creation, and flood risk management.
Engineering With Nature Four Coasts: Philadelphia District
A report identifying design concepts for incorporating Engineering With Nature® approaches into the work of the Philadelphia District
In the News: Jersey Shore Project Relocates Sand to Cut Risk to Boaters and Improve Beaches – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com)
Monica Chasten from the Philadelphia District, an EWN proving ground, spent the day with Mr. Ted Greenberg, Jersey Shore Reporter for the NBC affiliate out of Philadelphia, on the Dredge Murden. They observed the dredging and placement of sand for the Barnegat 1122 project. Monica shares that they are learning from the process at Barnegat inlet and will apply those lessons to other projects, “We are taking sand from where we don’t want it in the channels and putting it where we do want it.” Monica succinctly states, “It’s engineering with nature. The natural processes are going to move the material from the nearshore onto the beach more like nature.”
Chasten Receives 2016 EWN Leadership Award
In March 2016, Ms. Monica Chasten of the US Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District was presented the 2016 Engineering With Nature (EWN) Leadership Award for her contributions to the EWN program over the previous six years. Ms. Chasten was presented with the award by Dr. Todd Bridges, former US Army Senior Research Scientist and EWN Program Manager. Ms. Chasten and the Philadelphia District, as an EWN Proving Ground, have incorporated EWN principles into projects where dredged material is being beneficially used to restore degraded marsh and create habitat for a variety of wildlife. The award was created to recognize outstanding EWN proponents who provide their time and expertise to advance EWN throughout the Corps.
Stone Harbor and Avalon Marsh Restoration
In the summer of 2014, the USACE Philadelphia District partnered with state, local and non-profit organizations to beneficially use dredged materials to restore degraded marsh and create habitat for birds near Stone Harbor, New Jersey, on land owned and managed by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Service. Initial monitoring confirms a number of shorebirds utilizing the project sites. Barnegat Bay Dredging Company served as the contractor.
Resources
- News Release: Army Corps Host Engineering With Nature Workshop in Philadelphia
- News Release: Dredging and Marsh Restoration Kickoff in Avalon, NJ
- CBS New York Article and Video: Coastal Resiliency Efforts in New Jersey
- Article: The Military Engineer Article
- Article: International Dredging Review
