It’s Day 3 of Anchor QEA’s N-EWN media week. Today we highlight the February 2025 Great Lakes Engineering With Nature (EWN) Playbook in-person workshop, borne from our ongoing support to the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chicago, Buffalo, and Detroit Districts as part of the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study.
Bringing together collaborators from the regional USACE Districts, federal and state agencies, Tribal nations, private industry, and academia, the workshop collected feedback and insights to refine the Playbook—a collaborative effort to rethink how we protect our shorelines through the use of natural and nature-based features (NNBF) and Multiple Lines of Defense strategies.
Hosted by ERDC and led by our partners in this effort, the Dredge Research Collaborative and Proof Projects participants discussed NNBF concepts using coastal design units to divide distinct areas of the Great Lakes into physiological, hydrological, social, and ecological characteristics. In collaboration with USACE Districts and local stakeholders, participants developed site-specific, scalable solutions, integrating ecological, economic, and social benefits into infrastructure planning.
Once completed, the Playbook will feature discussion on NNBF concepts, such as strategic sediment traps, wave attenuation structures, and marsh-building techniques as sustainable solutions for Great Lakes coastal communities experiencing flooding, erosion, and ecological disruption.
This work marks a shift from traditional infrastructure to nature-inspired solutions that strengthen our coastlines while restoring natural habitats.
Learn more about this initiative by reaching out to Anchor QEA workshop attendees Ram Mohan, Matt Henderson, or Zelini Hubbard.
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