The Corps Institute for Water Resources (IWR)'s work in the Environment includes serving on the Environmental Advisory Board, producing Environmental Data Studies, and providing Environmental Service Support.  The Environmental Section of Value to the Nation covers how the Corps has been providing value to the Environment including projects such as the Sustainable Rivers Project.  IWR is also involved in Environmental Restoration by making IWR resources available and assisting the Corps Environmental Planning Center of Experise with the development of review scopes, coordination of model certification/approval review activities, and general review of the overarching planning model certification program’s effectiveness, efficiency, and emerging issues.

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 IWR facilitates the achievement of environmental sustainability by developing a conceptual basis for the management of strategic impediments to goal achievement and by contributing conceptually to specific issues management. Specific objectives include conceptual development of a systematic approach to strategic issues management and developing concepts that address:

1. Sustainability definitions, principles, and objectives for the USACE

2. Systems-oriented analytical approaches to goal achievement

3. Inventories of environmental conditions

4. Visions of an environmentally sustainable state

5. Integration of strategies into the Civil Works Strategic Plan

6. Indicators of environmental benefit from achievement of environmental sustainability

7. Integration of sustainability principles into policy guidance

8. Frameworks for project and regional planning that facilitate a "systems approach"

9. An integrated approach to research and development

10. Improved collaboration

Significant progress has been achieved so far in products of various forms, but particularly with respect to definition of sustainability principles, environmental benefits improvement, inventory of environmental resources, and IWRM concepts and principles, Other progress is being made outside the context of this project. Project benefits are associated with any resulting improvement in USACE achievement of environmental sustainability.

Biodiversity Security Index (BSI) Implementation Project

The BSI concept has been described and vetted by peer review. The BSI indicates the environmental benefits gained from securing desired ecosystem biodiversity from threat of permanent extinction. The unit of value is a viable population unit (VPU) determined by the number of individuals required to establish and sustain a population unit in the restored project area. The value of an additional viable population unit is zero for species that are secure from extinction  and it increases as species become less secure, the distinctiveness of species attributes increases, and unmanaged risk faced by the populations in the project area decreases. Unlike other indicators, the BSI indicates long-term sustainability of the benefit and is directly comparable across plans, projects and programs. While the BSI is conceptually acceptable for ecosystem restoration planning purposes, case study of project planning applications needs to be done to evaluate practicality. Before project case study, BSI application manuals need to be developed for planner integration into the USACE planning process. In particular, this requires explicit directions for managing the risks faced by populations that are desired in the project area and for estimating the risk that remains unmanaged (residual risk). If practicality is demonstrated, training and consultation services need to be developed for mass application. Integration of the BSI or BSI elements in planning tools is an important aspect of application. This will start with integration into the IWR Planning Suite model and the USACE Watershed Investment Tool.

Multi-Metrics For Budget

The purpose of this project is  to develop multi-metric budgeting criteria that includes Biodiversity Security Index, Social Vulnerability Index, and various economic measures.

The Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) was instituted in 1970 to advise the Chief of Engineers on national resource management matters and support to the Corps towards meeting the Environmental Operating Principles. The Institute for Water Resources (IWR), along with headquarter's and ERDC staff, provides the technical support to the EAB as needed to enable the members to better advise the Chief of Engineers.  The EAB typically meets 2-3 times per year, focusing on a specific topic at each meeting or series of meetings.  In addition, IWR supports the Executive Secretary of the EAB as the Alternate Designated Federal Officer to the Chief EAB. 

For more information on the EAB, go to Environmental Advisory Board.

In July 2007, a plan to generate this database was developed in consultation with IWR’s Navigation Data Center’s staff and contractor resources based on a preliminary analysis of existing databases (P2, CEFMS NERI, ORM, Hydropower, Environmental Stewardship, etc). Based on a limited understanding of the ecosystem restoration business process, the analysis found that none of the existing databases met HQ requirements for an ecosystem restoration database. An ecosystem restoration database could be developed as a module to OMBIL, similar to ORM, capitalizing on existing software and hardware assets and compliance with the Corps’ corporate data and spatial standards. Integrating with OMBIL also has the potential of data-linking with the OMBIL Environmental Stewardship and Inspection of Completed Works modules, providing an opportunity for program management forecasting. This project will integrate the ecosystem restoration database as an OMBIL module using the Navigation Data Center as the system architect coordinator and adviser to ensure conformance and integration within the corporate data framework.

The plan uses existing Navigation Data Center contracts with SAM personnel to maximize efficiency and manage costs, thereby avoiding duplication and ensuring integration and data linking within the Corps’ enterprise structure. Due to the size and complexity of the work, the project was broken down into two phases, with each phase broken down further into smaller goal-associated stages. Phase I concentrated on creating and populating the new database, building an upward reporting tool to access the database and generating reports on a national, division and district level. The ERBL database uses a combination of three types of fields: those already found in the USACE P2 OFA (Oracle Financial Analyzer) database; those already found in the NOAA National Estuarine Restoration Inventory (NERI) database; and newly created fields based on the customer’s needs. Phase I concluded in the spring of FY 2010. Phase II (FY 2010) focused on refining the database based on a field test of the beta version. Phase II also consisted of the development of a mitigation database for civil works projects. FY 11 will see the continued refinements of the ERBL and Mitigation databases, the development of various reports and analyses, and additional activities as needed by management.

The Institute for Water Resources (IWR) Environmental Service Support involves assessing the utility of incorporating ecosystem services into Planning and/or program management primarily for the Ecosystem Restoration business line, but also considering the applicability to other mission areas of the Corps. The objectives include: analyzing the principles and best practices and their implications for the Corps; reviewing federal and state policies on the use of ecosystem services; reviewing existing tools, methods, models, etc. for services assessment; coordinating with other agencies, developing a framework, and conducting an analysis of case studies in the Corps. Benefits resulting from this project include an approach that allows more holistic plan formulation, and improving the communication of project benefits to the Corps Headquarters, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Office of Management and Budget, and Congress.