Overview

SAGE, the Systems Approach to Geomorphic Engineering, is a community of practice dedicated to protecting our coastlines. Coastal areas are home to more than half of the U.S. population, rich in natural resources, and vital to our economy. Increasingly, shorelines are subject to intense storms, floods, loss of habitat, and sea-level rise. SAGE promotes the use of both green (natural and nature-based) and gray (hard, structural engineering) approaches to make our coasts more resilient. Our systems approach addresses large areas of shoreline to foster thriving communities and flourishing natural ecosystems.

The SAGE database contains multiple coastal resilience projects around the nation, including Living Shorelines for shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration, and floodplain management. Each project includes a variety of site, design, and partner information. Use the pull-down lists or a keyword search to find certain project names, partners, and other unique information.

The SAGE map displays completed projects from this database with known locations. Users can copy or export project information by going to the SAGE Database.

SAGE partners at the US Army Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary collected project records from a variety of sources like the NOAA Restoration Atlas, the COPRI Living Shorelines Database, state and local agencies, watershed organizations, private foundations, and others.

Managing Organizations

Systems Approach to Geomorphic Engineering (SAGE)

A Systems Approach to Geomorphic Engineering (SAGE) addresses ongoing and future coastal dynamic landscape change and threats, and supports coastal transformation by integrating green and gray solutions to contribute to the resiliency of our communities, ecosystems and shorelines. SAGE is a Community of Practice of Federal, State, and Local Agencies, non- governmental organizations, academic institutions, engineers, and private businesses working together to:

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National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them. From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product.

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approximately 34,000 dedicated Civilians and Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 90 countries worldwide.

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