Network for Engineering With Nature

A new partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and University of Georgia (UGA) establishes the Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN). N-EWN was developed to accelerate delivery of nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure in the public and private sectors.

USACE presented a $2.5 million award to UGA to establish the collaborative network, which will be a clearinghouse for tools, products and outreach for researchers and practitioners from both organizations working on nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure projects. Additionally, the partnership seeks to expand N-EWN by inviting other academic institutions, federal agencies and private industry partners to join the network.

The State of Louisiana constructed two sand berms between 2010 and 2011 to protect the Chandeleur Islands as part of an emergency response plan to mitigate the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.Most of the sediment placed in the berms mimicked nearshore beneficial use of dredged material applications that are used for barrier island nourishment and restoration.A study found that sediment was transported onto existing island features or across the island into Chandeleur Sound.The build up and reinforcement of the island ensures its viability as wildlife habitat, making this an excellent example of working with natural processes to produce beneficial results.The effort to create the berms and evaluated them was a collaboration between multiple state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (U.S. Geological Survey photo by Karen Morgan)

USACE developed the EWN Initiative to efficiently and sustainably deliver economic, environmental and social benefits through the use of natural systems. By using a combination of natural and conventional processes and materials, natural infrastructure can protect people, homes and habitats. Nature-based solutions can take many forms and scales, including sand dunes engineered to attenuate storm surge and waves, floodplains along rivers that allow the rivers to ebb and flow while reducing flood risks to communities and wetlands that filter out pollution and provide habitat, among many other examples.

The collaboration is beginning with USACE researchers ⸺ led by Dr. Todd Bridges, the EWN national lead and Dr. Jeffrey King, EWN deputy national lead ⸺ providing their knowledge and experience to the network, while 16 UGA researchers from 10 different colleges and departments will apply their expertise to the acceleration of EWN. The project leader for UGA is Dr. Brian Bledsoe, a professor in the College of Engineering and Director of the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems. The N-EWN partnership will also draw from the expertise of the UGA’s River Basin Center and Center for Integrative Conservation Research.

The California dredges the new navigation channel formed on the eastern side of Horshoe Bend Island.This project was selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District as a placement option for dredged shoal material.The island was self-designed by the strategic placement of sediment on the Atchafalaya River, allowing the river’s energy to disperse the sediment ⸺ another excellent example of harnessing natural systems and processes to engineer with nature. The project resulted in numerous engineering and environmental benefits, including a reduced need for dredging and increased habitat for a variety of species.(Wings of Anglers, courtesy of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company photo)

In an ambitious set of pilot projects, the network’s researchers will advance methods for using natural infrastructure to strengthen community resilience, create models and dashboards that allow designers to map out how natural infrastructure can provide more benefits to society and inspire and empower a new generation of engineers, ecologists and social scientists to implement nature-based solutions through education and workforce development.

The N-EWN website can be visited at n-ewn.org