The coral communities in Culebra were stressed by recognized erosion from an unpaved parking lot and road that had increased the volume of post-rainstorm runoff carrying pollutants. Community members managed to slow the flow of rainwater through erosion and sedimentation control, reforestation and habitat restoration through dune restoration, restoration of the line permanent vegetation, and delineation of vehicular and pedestrian access.

Muskegon Lake’s shoreline and wetlands were severely degraded from industrial waste disposal, shoreline land use, and stormwater management. The Amoco Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration Project restored wetlands and wildlife habitat at a 9-hectare site. A constructed shoal system, the removal of a concrete wall, and a planted embankment restored wetland habitat. 

The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF) utilized over 25 million funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support projects that increase local employment, support forest restoration and fire mitigation, and boost local economy. Projects included forest restoration and fuels reduction, recreation and related road improvements, forest fire rehabilitation efforts, and greenhouse construction on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

This project, implemented by the NC Division of Water Quality and NC Division of Forest Resources, aimed to reduce nitrogen and mercury loading of downstream waters in the Albemarle/Palmico estuary system by restoring wetland hydrology and native bog vegetation to a 640-acre research area. Activities included installation of water-control structures and replanting 100,000 trees.

The coastal marsh habitat in Blair Island, San Francisco was impaired by construction of salt ponds and dirt levees before its ecological value was recognized. The project aimed to restore the 1, 400 acres of diked marsh to tidal marsh primarily by breaching the perimeter levees to allow tidal action via surrounding slough channels.

This project aimed to create marsh habitat and restore a ridge at the Spanish Pass Increment of the Barataria Basin in Louisiana. Spanish Pass is a natural historic tributary of the Mississippi River with degraded channel banks and adjacent marsh. This project created 397 acres of ridge and 1,261 acres of marsh habitat.  

This project created a living shoreline comprised of bioengineered, marsh-fringing oyster reefs. 11.5 miles of reef breakwaters, marine mattresses, and rock revetments were placed off the shoreline to establish the bioengineered reefs. This living shoreline will provide self-sustaining coastal protection from erosion, wave action, storm surges, and sea-level rise.

The City of Bloomington began a creek naturalization project in 2002 to address significant erosion caused by intense storm water pressure and to enhance biodiversity in a popular local park. Through partnerships with local organizations, the City reduced flooding impacts, improved water quality and increased plant and animal species diversity in the improvement area.

Lake Ontario’s Braddock Bay has lost 123 acres of emergent wetland. The Braddock Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project was created to save and reestablish 340 acres of this coastal wetland area. This project will increase habitat for fish and wildlife, reduce erosion, manage invasive species, and increase bay-area property values. 

Brunswick Town–Fort Anderson is an important historic site on the North Carolina coast. To prevent further erosion and negative impacts from storms and sea-level rise, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources installed 140-meters of Reefmaker along the shoreline. This stabilized the shoreline and produces multiple co-benefits.  

The Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in Arizona is home to five of the rarest community types in the American Southwest. Managers constantly combat woody-shrub encroachment onto valuable grasslands, specifically the species velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina). The Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy partnered to evaluate the condition of resources and to review monitoring protocols.  

Buffalo Slough Island in Sturgeon Lake is home to important cultural resources for the Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC). The island was experiencing erosion and habitat loss, until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the PIIC signed a project partnership agreement to restore the island.  

A team of nonprofit organizations and government agencies led by the California State Coastal Conservancy developed preliminary design plans to use a gravel beach and berm in the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve to protect critical habitat, control erosion, and enhance shoreline resilience on the south San Francisco Bay.

Cape Lookout State Park, located in coastal Oregon, experienced extreme erosion and storm damage to its beach and infrastructure. Instead of a less aesthetic, more expensive, seawall or revetment, managers opted to build a cobble berm backed by an artificial dune to increase coastal protection and enhance the natural shoreline community. 

The San Clemente Dam on the Carmel River was no longer useful due to sedimentation of the reservoir, and was declared a public safety hazard in the 1990s. This project removed the dam and restored the Carmel River’s floodplain and habitat. This improved habitat and connectivity for wildlife, including the threatened steelhead.  

Cat Island and Ship Island are barrier islands off the coast of Mississippi that provide protection to coastal communities from erosion and storm surges. This project used millions of cubic meters of sand and reused dredged sediment to restore the islands’ beaches and dunes.  

Cleveland Metroparks worked closely with 12 community-based organizations and 40 stakeholder groups in restoring Lake Erie’s eastern shorefront. The team managed to conduct virtual and in-person outreach activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and develop a plan for 150 acres of park and habitat amenities, including 80 acres of newly acquired park land.

Oregon DOT designed several nature-based solutions to protect the 363-mile-long Oregon Coast Highway (U.S. 101) from extreme events and coastal bluff erosion. Three demonstration sites were selected, where cobble beaches were restored to enhance natural wave protection along the backshore.

Reef balls and oyster shells were used to create 1.02 miles of oyster reef off the coast of Coffee Island, in Portersville Bay, Alabama. These reefs reduced erosion, enhanced biodiversity, created jobs and improved local fisheries. This also created 20 acres of seagrass and marsh habitat, further protecting the shoreline. 

The Montezuma quail’s (Cyrtonyx montezumae) primary habitat is Madrean oak woodlands. These habitats are degrading from the impacts of climate change and habitat destruction. This project aims to restore Madrean oak woodlands and Montezuma quail populations through a partnership of Sonoran Joint Venture, Borderlands Restoration Network, and Southern Arizona Quail Forever.