Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast

The briefing highlights a coastal sediment crisis in the Gulf of Mexico caused by human activity for the navigation industry. It outlines current state-level sediment efforts in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi, and identifies the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) districts in Jacksonville, Mobile, and Galveston as regional leaders in RSM. To improve resilience, the author recommends that Congress reform the USACE 'federal standard' of least cost disposal, update Benefit-Cost-Ratio (BCR) calculations, support legislation like the Living Shorelines Act and Coastal Communities Adaptation Act, and shift toward sustained upfront federal investment rather than relying on post-storm funding.

• Shoreline recession in the Gulf region is attributed to human activities intended to benefit the navigation industry rather than being a natural process.
• Various Gulf states are implementing sediment-based resilience efforts, including Louisiana's State Master Plan and sediment diversions, Florida's beach restoration and the Jacksonville RSM Center of Excellence, Alabama's proposed law for using dredged material from Mobile Bay, Texas's use of Galveston Ship channel material for beaches, and Mississippi's use of Alabama dredge material for barrier island restoration.
• The author proposes four primary ways Congress can support nature-based resilience: reforming the USACE 'federal standard' of least cost disposal and the Benefit-Cost-Ratio (BCR), passing the Living Shorelines Act (H.R. 3115) and Coastal Communities Adaptation Act (H.R. 1317), providing sustained upfront federal appropriations, and committing to infrastructure, people, and nature.

APA

Brockbank, D. (2019). Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf

Chicago

Brockbank, Derek. Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2019. https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brockbank |first1=Derek |title=Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=24 June 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brockbank2019naturebased, author = {Brockbank, Derek}, title = {{Nature-based Resilience for Gulf Coast Communities: Using Regional Sediment Management to Sustain the Coast}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Derek_Brockbank_062519.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }