At ESA, we learned early on what is now a widely accepted fact: understanding and designing with natural forces leads to more cost-effective and sustainable project solutions over the long term.

ESA’s interdisciplinary team of ecologists, hydrologists, biologists, geomorphologists, engineers, water quality specialists, and landscape architects collaborate to create practical, ecosystem-based designs. We blend rigorous scientific analysis with practical engineering solutions.

Our team members share a common goal of protecting, enhancing, and restoring the environment, from the headwaters to the coast. Our experts pioneered some of the earliest wetland restoration planning efforts and published tidal wetland restoration design guidelines that are now widely used by restoration practitioners throughout the United States.

We completed award-winning estuarine restorations in Oregon near Tillamook and Astoria, and are currently completing a 1.5-mile shoreline enhancement of Birch Bay in northern Washington. Further inland, we are designing the restoration of 13 miles of the Napa River and developing plans to restore native salmon to the Columbia and San Joaquin Rivers. Along the Gulf of Mexico, we have worked with the Gulf States, counties, parishes, and federal agencies to plan and prioritize coastal restoration projects funded by the RESTORE Act.

We offer a full range of restoration and conservation services to help clients solve mitigation challenges, from initial planning, feasibility studies, and conceptual design through permits, environmental compliance, and final design. We provide bid documents, construction phase services, and post-project monitoring to implement our designs, which allow natural habitats to reclaim their role in a healthy ecosystem.