Levee setbacks for biodiverse floodplains

Project Overview

While traditional levees are placed directly next to a river, levee setbacks are placed further from the river, with space for a natural floodplain to form between the river and levee. Biodiversity conservation and enhancement opportunities are one of the major potential benefits of levee setback projects. However, biodiversity benefits are harder to quantify.

This project, funded by NASA’s Research Opportunities for Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) program, will generate predictive models that can anticipate the terrestrial habitat types that will develop on restored floodplains and the wildlife they can support. This will help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other partners make more informed decisions and account for their contributions to regional biodiversity conservation in levee setback projects.

aerial view of a river near grassland
Photo by Tom Fisk via Pexels.com

what we’re doing

The Challenge

Levee setback projects restore floodplains, potentially having large positive impacts on local biodiversity. However, levee setback projects cannot easily quantify or get credit for their contributions to biodiversity conservation.

This project addresses a critical need for NbS managers to better understand biodiversity and ecosystem services when making decisions. Failing to account for a project’s potential co-benefits means that it may be less likely to receive funding and be implemented. By evaluating how levee setbacks can change a landscape and thereby support biodiversity, along with other potential benefits of levee setbacks like flood control and improved water quality, stakeholders and managers can make more informed decisions about riverine infrastructure.

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