Environmental Protection and Restoration

Environmental Protection and Restoration, also known as Ecosystem Restoration and Protection, is one of the primary Civil Works missions of the Corps, along with navigation and flood control.

The Corps uses an ecosystem approach focusing on protecting and/or restoring the structures and functions provided by a complete ecosystem. The Corps focuses on engineering solutions to ecosystem problems more directly associated with the hydrologic regime. Ecosystem restoration projects may be conducted under a number of different authorities. Larger more complex projects are typically conducted under our General Investigations Program (Section 103 (c) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1986 as amended by Section 210 of WRDA 1996). Smaller projects may be conducted under our Continuing Authorities Program to include Project Modifications for Improvement of the Environment (Section 1135, WRDA 1986), Beneficial use of Dredged Material (Section 204, WRDA 1992), and Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration (Section 206, WRDA 1996).