A framework for evaluating island restoration performance: A case study from the Chesapeake Bay

Abstract

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding for the work described here is provided by a combination of sources including USACE's Engineering With Nature (EWN) Initiative and the Dredge Operations and Environmental Research (DOER) Program; NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science; cooperative agreement F18AC00019 through which USFWS provides funding to MDDNR. Special thanks to USACE Baltimore District Big Thorofare/Twitch Cove Maintenance Dredging Project Delivery Team, USFWS site managers for field work facilitation, as well as Shay Viehman and Carolyn Currin of (NCCOS) for critical reviews of this communication. Data Availability: There are no data associated with this submission EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is part of the special series "Incorporating Nature-based Solutions to the Built Environment." The series documents the way in which the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets can be addressed when naturebased solutions (NBS) are incorporated into the built environment. This series presents cutting-edge environmental research and policy solutions that promote sustainability from the perspective of how the science community contributes to SDG implementation through new technologies, assessment and monitoring methods, management best practices, and scientific research.

Transforming Institutions to Connect Land and Water for Healthy Communities

“…Examples of EWN supporting NNBF implementation include innovative dredging technologies and practices that can be used to sustain NNBFs, and the development of methods for quantifying the ecosystem services and engineering and flood risk reduction benefits provided by restored islands (Herman et al 2020;Polk et al 2022;Sella et al 2022). EWN is currently advancing practice for island creation and restoration as an NNBF measure that is enabled by the beneficial use of dredged sediment (Herman et al 2020;Davis et al 2022; Box 2). Other projects use physical models to examine and understand the interactions between flood surges, waves, and NNBF, which advances the understanding of how NNBF can reduce flooding and erosion (Brauman et al 2022).…”

“…2020; Davis et al. 2022; Box 2). Other projects use physical models to examine and understand the interactions between flood surges, waves, and NNBF, which advances the understanding of how NNBF can reduce flooding and erosion (Brauman et al.…”

Engineering With Nature® principles in action : islands

“…The overarching project seeks to quantify the coastal-resilience performance of Swan Island in terms of reducing wave energy and erosion to nearby shorelines and habitats. Researchers are collecting pre-and post-restoration data such as sediment (total suspended solids, accretion); hydrodynamic (waves, currents, water level); ecological (vegetation); and topographic (elevations) parameters (Herman et al 2020;Davis et al 2021). These data will be used to develop and evaluate integrated hydrodynamic and ecological models that will answer questions such as How resilient is the island and its habitats against rising sea level and periodic storm events?…”

Introduction to the Special Series, “Incorporating Nature‐based Solutions into the Built Environment”

“…Currently, monitoring and evaluation of NBSs are needed to provide a stronger evidence base to capture both the effectiveness of NBSs and the cobenefits associated with NBSs. Contributions that address this knowledge gap include Davis, Whitfield, et al (2021) and Geisthardt et al (2021). Davis, Whitfield, et al (2021) present a project that is monitoring an island restored through beneficial sediment use to develop a model to predict island structural performance under a range of different system scenarios.…”

“…Contributions that address this knowledge gap include Davis, Whitfield, et al (2021) and Geisthardt et al (2021). Davis, Whitfield, et al (2021) present a project that is monitoring an island restored through beneficial sediment use to develop a model to predict island structural performance under a range of different system scenarios. The model will be used to inform adaptive management options and inform the design and construction of future projects that restore habitats and coastal protection, and the effects of sea level rise.…”