USACE Engineering With Nature Proving Grounds: A Review of the Process, Achievements, and Lessons Learned
The Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC), part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), has been championing a pioneering program called the Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) initiative, which aims to promote the use of nature-based solutions (NBS) for coastal and fluvial flood risk management. As part of the EWN program, ERDC initiated a […]
Beneficial Use of Dredged Material in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway: Approaching the Regulatory Process
Following the Chief of Engineer’s January 2023 goal to expand the beneficial use of dredged material (BUDM), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) strives to apply new and creative ways to increase utilization of dredged materials from a historic 30%–40% to 70% by 2030. As USACE Savannah District (SAS) increases BUDM efforts, a critical […]
Evidence on the ecological and physical effects of built structures in shallow, tropical coral reefs: a systematic map
Shallow, tropical coral reefs face compounding threats from climate change, habitat degradation due to coastal development and pollution, impacts from storms and sea-level rise, and pulse disturbances like blast fishing, mining, dredging, and ship groundings that reduce reef height and complexity. One approach toward restoring coral reef physical structure from such impacts is deploying built […]
Financing natural infrastructure : the Elizabeth River Project, Chesapeake Bay, VA
Knowledge gaps surrounding natural infrastructure (NI) life cycles and performance thwart widespread implementation of NI in civil works projects. In particular, information about funding or financing the scoping, design, construction, monitoring, and adaptive management of NI projects constitutes a key need as there is no standard process for securing funds. This technical note is part […]
Embracing biodiversity on engineered coastal infrastructure through structured decision-making and Engineering With Nature®
Extreme weather variation, natural disasters, and anthropogenic actions negatively impact coastal communities through flooding and erosion. To safeguard coastal settlements, shorelines are frequently reinforced with seawalls and bulkheads. Hardened shorelines, however, result in biodiversity loss and environmental deterioration. The creation of sustainable solutions that engineer with nature is required to lessen natural and anthropogenic pressures. […]
Collaborative Development of Natural and Nature-based Solutions for Coastal Resiliency in the Arctic and Adjacent Regions: A Workshop
The Engineering With Nature program is pleased to share the summary report for the “Collaborative Development of Natural and Nature-based Solutions for Coastal Resiliency in the Arctic and Adjacent Regions” workshop held in Reston, Virginia on October 24-25, 2023. The workshop assembled diverse international partners in a hybrid in-person and virtual setting to focus on […]
Nature-Based Solutions & Risk Management Recommendations for Integrating Nature into Risk Science & Insurance
Risk reduction is the core goal of risk managers such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with state and local risk managers. Insurers and re-insurers also have significant incentives to reduce risks, including to decrease payouts and ensure the affordability of insurance. Environmental managers […]
Nature-Based Solutions for MacDill AirForce Base
The Department of Defense recognizes natural hazards and their impacts on mission resilience and readiness. Hosted by Engineering With Nature (EWN®), a workshop in July 2023 explored threats at MacDill AFB, focusing on erosion, flooding, sea-level rise, and wildfire. Agency experts presented case studies with nature-based solutions, including shoreline enhancement, beneficial use of dredged material, […]
Life cycle management of natural infrastructure: assessment of state of practice and current tools
Design alternatives for traditional infrastructure are often compared in terms of expected–and often narrowly defined–costs and benefits to justify the selected plan. Taking a broader life cycle perspective in the benefit-cost evaluation process helps account for potentially rare, indirect, or accruing project benefits. Natural infrastructure design alternatives are generally difficult to compare to conventional alternatives […]
Potential for managing pool levels in a flood-control reservoir to increase nitrate-nitrogen load reductions
Few strategies are available to reduce nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) loads at larger landscape scales, but flood control reservoirs are known to reduce riverine loads. In this study, we evaluated the potential to increase nitrogen (N) loss at Lake Red Rock, a large reservoir located in central Iowa, by evaluating the inundation of sediments deposited at the […]
