Enhancing Benefits Evaluation for Water Resources Projects Towards a More Comprehensive Approach for Nature-Based Solutions: Case Study Analysis Results and Recommendations
This document is the fourth and final report produced as part of this collaborative effort. Previous reports developed during this project describe the evolution of USACE evaluation approaches from prior eras of planning to the present day (Ehrenwerth et al., 2022), investigate where and how NBS were considered in planning studies from 2005–2020 (Windhoffer et […]
The potential for nature-based solutions to combat the freshwater biodiversity crisis
Enthusiasm for and investments in nature-based solutions (NBS) as sustainable strategies for climate adaptation and infrastructure development is building among governments, the scientific community, and engineering practitioners. This is particularly true for water security and water-related risks. In a freshwater context, NBS may provide much-needed “win-wins” for society and the environment that could benefit imperiled […]
Engineering With Nature: supporting mission resilience and infrastructure value at Department of Defense installations
This book illustrates some of the current challenges and hazards experienced by military installations, and the content highlights activities at seven military installations to achieve increased resilience through natural infrastructure.
Evaluation of cedar tree revetments for bank stabilization at the Locust Creek Conservation Area, Missouri : quantifying bank erosion volumes from preproject to postfailure
The US Army Corps of Engineers Regional Sediment Management (RSM) program funded research to assess the longevity and effectiveness of cedar tree revetments for sediment reduction. Between 1988 and 1997, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) constructed multiple cedar tree revetments, plantings, and a grade-control structure at an experimental stream management area on Locust Creek […]
Benefits, Applications, and Opportunities of Natural Infrastructure: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief
Natural infrastructure is the practice of using naturally occurring aspects of the landscape and/or nature based solutions that use or imitate natural processes (e.g., wetlands, living shorelines, municipal green infrastructure) to support natural hazard resilience, climate change adaptation, and other benefits to people and ecosystems. Recognition of the multiple benefits of natural “green” infrastructure has […]
Swan Island resilience model development; Phase I: conceptual model
This report documents the development of an integrated hydrodynamic and ecological model to test assumptions about island resilience. Swan Island, a 25-acre island in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, was used as a case study. An interagency, interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers came together in a series of workshops to develop a simplified resilience model to […]
Enhancing Benefits Evaluation for Water Resources Projects Towards a More Comprehensive Approach for Nature-Based Solutions: Planning and Valuation Methods for Case Study Analysis
The third in a series, this report provides methodological guidance for the retrospective case study analysis and should be of interest to technical readers at USACE, other federal agencies, and interested stakeholders. The report describes recent and relevant decision analysis methods designed to inform decision makers when considering or trading off among multiple objectives when […]
Assessing Drivers of Coastal Tundra Retreat at Point Hope, Alaska
Shoreline erosion over the last few decades along the Point Hope, Alaska, USA coastline has led to considerable loss of tundra behind the beach. Analysis of available remote sensing, morphology, and hydrodynamic datasets are used to inform the time scales and mechanisms of coastal land loss at Point Hope, in part through integration of these […]
Quantifying mineral-associated organic matter in wetlands as an indicator of the degree of soil carbon protection
Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is one pool of SOM recently shown to protect soil organic C from mineralization. However, most MAOM research has been in agriculture and forest mineral soils. Given the magnitude of soil C stored in wetlands, this study sought to determine the abundance of MAOM in wetlands. A standard method for quantifying […]
The effects of coastal marsh geometry and surge scales on water level attenuation
Coastal wetlands are an effective natural and nature-based feature to mitigate coastal flood hazards. While the sheltering and attenuation offered by wetlands are recognized, the protection level varies based on wetland and storm characteristics. Here we focus on the effects of the spatial scales of the coastal wetlands (i.e., channel geometry, marsh elevation-gradient) and the […]
