Project Methods

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are a relatively new field of study and applications. N-EWN researchers are dedicated to figuring out the best way to implement NbS in engineering, environmental, and community settings.

How can we innovate in our methods?

determining SCALES for natural infrastructure projects

The relevant spatial scales and dimensions of NI need to be assessed to maximize flood protection benefits for a range of flood hazards and related risks. The spatial scale refers to how large or small a NI project must be to be most effective. High-performance, high-fidelity, computer models of coastal and riverine floods provide a means to develop strategic and controlled digital environments to test how different NI features, combinations, and their size can provide flood risk reduction.

Below, explore our Scaling NI StoryMap on coastal and riverine infrastructure projects for flood reduction and mitigation.

scales storymap scales factsheet

maximizing benefits

Natural infrastructure is thought to provide “win-win” outcomes for both ecosystems and communities by providing habitat for key species, recreation opportunities to community members, and protection from severe weather events, among other benefits. However, it is difficult to quantify these benefits from engineering and ecological performance perspectives at larger scales — such as those for an entire watershed — because most measures examine benefits at the individual project scale.

maximizing benefits factsheet

Thin layer placement

Critical to salt marsh restoration is understanding the physical and ecological drivers of degradation and fragmentation in salt marsh ecosystems. A potential solution is the beneficial use of dredged sediment, placed in a one to two-foot thick layer, along coastal wetlands to promote recolonization of fragmented areas. N-EWN researchers are exploring the best methods of application for this technique.

enhancing resilience through tlp locating optimal tlp sites

Explore more methods research…

The Network for Engineering With Nature provides a space for collaborators from all sectors to ideate and create projects based on common interests and expertise. The Network does not take credit for these projects, but we love to see our partners shine!

Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment in Coastal Marshes

Our partners at USACE, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science (NCCOS), and EA Engineering are working to identify dredged sediment sources and potential placement sites to build coastal marsh resilience in the Southeast.

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Integrating Water Resources and Agricultural Land Management

Engineering With Nature and our colleagues at Arizona State University are investigating how to harmonize water resources infrastructure and agricultural land management to improve water quality through nature-based solutions and systems.

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Reconstructing for Resilience at Tyndall Air Force Base

In 2018, Tyndall Air Force Base sustained a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, destroying buildings and damaging important resources. Our partners at USACE, UGA, UF and Jacobs saw the reconstruction as a chance to build a more resilient, sustainable installation.

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CSTORM Modeling Toolkit

USACE Districts require a method for predicting the impact that Engineering With Nature (EWN) features may have on the coastal resiliency of communities, quantifying changes to predicted values of storm surge, inundation, and wave attenuation for various storm events if these features were implemented. The purpose of this project is to include a toolkit to create and permeate EWN features within the Coastal STORM Modeling System (CSTORM-MS) of numerical models (ADCIRC/STWAVE), allowing Districts to look at variations of design parameters for varying natural and nature-based features (NNBFs) without having to modify model bathymetry every time, saving time and costs.

learn more about the toolkit