The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the California Department of Water Resources (CADWR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in May 2021 to collaborate on Engineering With Nature. USACE and CADWR share the common goal of sustainable, integrated management of water resources and flood systems that support public safety and ecosystem health. The collaboration will advance the use of Engineering With Nature principles and practices to beneficially integrate engineering and nature with infrastructure solutions and systems. By diversifying infrastructure project benefits (including social, economic, and environmental benefits) more socially acceptable, equitable, and thus viable solutions can be developed for communities. The MOU identifies the general framework that CADWR and USACE will use in their collaboration and potential project targets for such collaboration, including the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and associated Conservation Strategy, San Joaquin River basin integrated watershed management and other efforts. Both organizations are committed to advancing future practice through innovation, demonstration, and communication to achieve strategic and operational objectives.
MOU (PDF)