× ×

Who We Are

× ×

About EA

× ×

Careers

× ×

Subcontractors/Suppliers

×

Nature-Based Solutions: Using Sediment Placement to Improve Resilience

Nature-based solutions can be a viable and often preferred alternative over static engineered installations when improving coastal resilience and addressing the impacts of climate change. In general, nature-based solutions are defined as strategies that work with nature or employ/replicate natural features and processes to sustainably address societal changes and benefit humanity, biodiversity, and ecosystems. Examples of nature-based solutions in the coastal realm are varied and capable of application over expansive areas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Engineering With Nature® program defines a few examples in the following manner:

Table Developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Research and Development Center Describing the Benefits, Processes, and Factors Affecting Performance when Using Natural and Nature-Based Features as Nature-Based Solutions

Research, recognition, and implementation of nature-based solutions have increased concurrently to greater acceptance as to the impacts from climate change among the greater scientific and engineering communities; however, successful implementation of nature-based solutions requires a combined understanding of non-stationarity as well as natural ecosystem function. Engineers and scientists will need to work together throughout the design lifecycle—a critical difference from traditional coastal resilience approaches that rely on static engineered infrastructure, to understanding and recognizing the need for these healthy ecosystems.

As opposed to static infrastructure that does not adjust within the changing coastal environment, use of nature-based solutions as a resilient means to address the challenges of sea-level rise can have the potential to provide additional value, including:

  • Habitat improvements
  • Improved community well-being
  • Improved aesthetics
  • Reduced impacts from certain weather events
  • Carbon sequestration

A specific ecotype that is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change includes coastal marsh and intertidal habitats, which do not always have the ability to keep up with the pace of sea-level rise. Without intervention, this habitat will likely be lost—especially in areas where lateral migration of habitat is not possible, such as urban areas. Watch EA’s Environmental Insights webinar on the topic followed by a brief summary.

Many policy and planning level documents espouse the benefit in using sediment placement as a nature-based solution to improve coastal resilience. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set a goal of reusing 70% of sediments derived from navigational improvements for beneficial reuse by 2030, an increase of between 20 and 40% of current reuse. State and local governments are also seeing the value in beneficially using sediment from within the watershed of its origin.

For sediment placement, projects must be initiated based on the need to promote ecological function and flood protective features instead of a need to find a location to offload dredge sediment. However, like most nature-based solutions, there is no definitive approach or process that can be used across different regions. While there is no definitive process yet in place, there are a number of sediment/dredged material placement strategies currently being employed to provide a variety of ecological lift and protective functions including:

  • Dynamic revetment
  • Thin layer placement
  • Horizontal levees
  • Mud motors

The federal government continues to support the refining of definitions and regulations while creating resources, all of which will inform state, regional, municipal, and site-specific strategies. Extensive funding is currently designated for nature-based solutions through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and many other agencies.

Next Steps

There is still much to be learned, and the engineering and scientific communities will need to continue to come together to address these knowledge gaps. Focus areas will range from constructability and regulatory challenges to grain size and turbidity.

For example, the use of more coarse, grain-sized material may minimize the presence of possible contaminants, minimize dewatering and other geotechnical issues, and limit impacts to surrounding receptors from suspended solids. Regulations will need to shift to design-forward thinking to account for non-stationarity and predictive/dynamic models rather than existing standards that look backwards and use definitions such as the 100-year storm event.


Headshot of Sam WhitinFor more information on using sediment placement as a nature-based solution to improve resiliency, please contact:
Sam Whitin, CERP, Director, Coastal Resilience
401-287-0375

×

Contact Us

Name

×

Office Locations

View Map

Alaska

Anchorage

745 W 4th Avenue
Suite 425
Anchorage, AK 99501
Mike Jones P: 907-334-3909 Email Mike

Fairbanks

3544 International Way
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Travis Hines P: 907-646-0210 Email Travis

Arkansas

Fayetteville

700 Research Center Blvd
Suite 2221
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Matthew Frigon, PhD P: 479-575-2136 Email Matthew

California

Sacramento

555 University Avenue
Suite 182
Sacramento, CA 95825
Sheena Styger P: 916-604-4365 Email Sheena

Colorado

Denver

7995 E Prentice Ave.
Suite 206E
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Nathan Jones P: 303 590-9140 Email Nathan

Delaware

Newark

131 Continental Drive
Suite 203
Newark, DE 19713
Kathy Fox P: 302-467-3025 Email Kathy

Georgia

Warner Robins

108 Byrd Way
Suite 600
Warner Robins, GA 31088-9199
Tommy Bruhn P: 478-308-7375 Email Tommy

Guam

1001 Army Drive
Suite 103
Barrigada, GU 96913-1402
Billy Janasak P: 671-646-5231 Email Billy

Hawaii

Honolulu

615 Piikoi Street
Suite 515
Honolulu, HI 96814
Chip Brown P: 808-589-1455 Email Chip

Illinois

Chicago

444 Lake Cook Road
Suite 18
Deerfield, IL 60015
Joe Vondruska P: 847-945-8010 Email Joe

Maryland

Corporate Headquarters

225 Schilling Circle
Suite 400
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Ian MacFarlane P: 410-584-7000 Email Ian

Ecotoxicology & Biology Labs

231 Schilling Circle
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Michael Chanov P: 410-584-7000 Email Michael

Abingdon

1311 Continental Drive
Suite K
Abingdon, MD 21009
Scott Dobson P: 410-671-6051 Email Scott

Ocean Pines

11200 Racetrack Road
Unit A101
Ocean Pines, MD 21811
Darl Kolar P: 410-641-5341 Email Darl

Michigan

Brighton

10321 E. Grand River Ave.,
Suite 600,
Brighton, MI 48116
Arthur Peitsch P: 810-206-3042 Email Arthur

Montana

Helena

54 North Last Chance Gulch
Suite 14
Helena, MT 59601
Catherine LeCours P: 406-936-0022 Email Catherine

Nebraska

Lincoln

221 Sun Valley Blvd
Suite D
Lincoln, NE 68528
Dale Schlautman P: 402-476-3766 Email Dale

Omaha

7836 Wakeley Plaza
Omaha, NE 68114
Craig Johnson P: 402-817-7664 Email Craig

New Mexico

Albuquerque

320 Gold Avenue, SW
Suite 1300
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Jay Snyder P: 505-224-9013 Email Jay

New York

Marlboro

P.O. Box 144
25 Western Avenue, 2nd Floor
Marlboro, NY 12542
Melanie Dina P: 845-565-8100 Email Melanie

Oswego

82-B Creamery Road
Oswego, NY 13126
Sarah Nelson P: 315-342-1419 Email Sarah

Syracuse

269 W Jefferson Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Bob Casey P: 315-431-4610 Email Bob

Rhode Island

Providence

301 Metro Center Blvd
Suite 102
Warwick, RI 02886-3440
Ron Mack P: 401-736-3440 Email Ron

Texas

Dallas

405 State Highway 121 (Bypass)
Building C, Suite 100
Lewisville, TX 75067
Roger Place P: 972-315-3922 Email Roger

Houston

11550 Cypress N Houston Rd
Cypress, TX 77429
John Bonner P: 832-912-4038 Email John

San Antonio

13750 San Pedro Ave.
Suite B10
San Antonio, TX 78232
Brian O'Ferrall P: 210-546-2129 Email Brian

Virginia

Virginia Beach

4429 Bonney Road
Suite 430
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Chris Penny P: 757-693-6014 Email Chris

Washington

Seattle

2200 6th Avenue
Suite 707
Seattle, WA 98121
Jen Martin Bouchard P: 401-287-0376 Email Jen

EA Satellite Residential locations (Contact 1-800-777-9750)

Dunedin, FL

Rick Hanoski

North Salem, IN

Matthew Bowman

Dover, NH

Amy Hunt

Spencerport, NY

Caryn Kiehl-Simpson

Lubbock, TX

Danny Leaks