This project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a novel rock-biochar Natural and Nature-Based Feature (NNBF) for reducing erosion and protecting Department of Defense (DoD) infrastructure. It will also develop and share tools for improving soil health and managing surface water flow using this approach. To support adoption, implementation guidance will be produced for arid lands and a workshop will be hosted in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering With Nature® initiative, to train DoD installation managers in applying rock-biochar and other NNBFs in arid environments. 

NNBF such as gabion baskets, Hesco barriers, rock structures, and other Zeedyke structures have been used to reconnect floodplains, retain sediments, build organic matter and reduce watershed runoff rates. Rock structures are a construction technique that stacks loose rocks in the channel to provide a stable channel bottom. Gabions and Hesco barriers are manmade structures typically constructed perpendicular to the channel, which are made of wire fence materials filled with rocks, sand, or soil, and typically keyed into bedrock. Construction of these rock based NNBF is relatively inexpensive with low operation and maintenance costs. Importantly, they often create a synergistic relationship between water, soil and vegetation, capturing nutrient-rich sediments and retaining moisture for extended periods and potentially providing localized areas of shallow aquifer recharge. Biochar is a chemically recalcitrant carbon rich material produced via pyrolysis of biomass in a limited oxygen to anoxic environment. The addition of biochar to soil is known to enhance nutrient retention and availability, often for native plant species, and also improves other characteristics indicative of healthy soils. Examples include improved water holding capacity, improved soil structure and aggregate stability, especially in sandy soils. Furthermore, biochar is much more resistant to degradation compared to the source materials such as wood chip and compost, thereby rendering it less susceptible to loss and conversion to carbon dioxide. Combining NNBF such as rock structures with targeted biochar soil amendments may therefore serve as a powerful combination for limiting erosion and promoting plant growth within erosion-prone locations found throughout DoD installations.  

This project will demonstrate that biochar amendments, when combined with rock-based NNBFs (rock-biochar), offer a low-maintenance, cost-effective solution for protecting critical infrastructure by reducing erosion and stabilizing soils. The project will also show that applying biochar within soils behind or near stone structures improves soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, accelerating the growth of beneficial vegetation and enhancing long-term soil function. A life cycle assessment will evaluate whether these soil stabilization benefits outweigh the material and installation costs, supporting informed, resource-efficient decision-making for land management on DoD installations. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2029)