ELSA LOEHMANN, PE, is Principal at Auroran with over 20 years of expertise in aquatic habitat restoration, nature-based solutions, and urban flood resiliency. She directs a diverse portfolio of projects, including resiliency master planning and design, habitat restoration design, and urban flood mitigation. Her expertise extends to stakeholder engagement and guiding interdisciplinary teams to sustainable, nature-based solutions.

Ms. Loehmann brings a client-focused approach, emphasizing collaboration with community stakeholders, local and national regulators, and project teams to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. She has led efforts in securing funding, feasibility analysis, and long-term project implementation for urban and suburban flood mitigation initiatives. A licensed Professional Engineer in Connecticut, she is also a contributing author of multiple American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) publications.

Prior to joining Auroran, she served as the Water Resources Group Lead at Fuss & O’Neill Inc., where she spearheaded high-profile projects like the Meriden Green revitalization project, Resilient Danbury flood mitigation and infrastructure protection planning, and various ecological restoration initiatives. Her career highlights include award-winning flood mitigation projects and innovative strategies for integrating nature-based and engineered solutions to enhance climate resilience.

SELECTED EXPERIENCE

Mitigation Planning and Habitat Restoration for the Tweed New Haven Regional Airport Runway Extension and Terminal Expansion Project New Haven, CT. Natural Resources Permitting Lead. Ms. Loehmann co-led the development of comprehensive wetland and grassland mitigation plans for the Tweed New Haven Airport Runway Extension and Terminal Expansion, submitted to CT DEEP and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The plans included strategies to restore at least 28.5 acres of tidal marsh and 25 acres of grassland habitat using nature-based solutions to improve ecological resilience. Her efforts focused on invasive species control, tidal marsh restoration, and the enhancement of habitats to withstand long-term environmental changes, balancing compliance with state and federal regulations.

Manresa Island Park Masterplan and Habitat Restoration. Norwalk, CT. Project Natural Resources Permitting Lead. Ms. Loehmann leads the environmental permitting for the revitalization masterplan of a 150-acre post-industrial site in Norwalk, Connecticut. Nature-based solutions, including the preservation of historic salt marshes and the creation of Atlantic cedar swamp habitats, are central to her team’s strategy. Her collaboration with CT DEEP ensures that the design prioritizes ecological health and community benefits.

Groundwater & Water Quality Modeling, Abha, Saudi Arabia. Project Director. Ms. Loehmann is leading a team of engineers to develop an integrated groundwater and water quality model to support a large-scale river restoration project in southern Saudi Arabia. The project integrates engineered and nature-based solutions by reusing stormwater and wastewater to create a perennial stream corridor which will serve as the centerpiece of Abha’s commercial district. Ms. Loehmann’s team has been is tasked with studying the underlying hydrogeological conditions, constructing a groundwater model to simulate those conditions, and using the model to evaluate proposed conditions including groundwater pumping, filtration, and recirculation.

As the project director, Ms. Loehman has led her team through the concept design phase reviewing background materials, documenting project requirements, and developing the conceptual and geologic models. In the schematic and detailed design phases these models will be used to build the full hydrogeologic model in MODFLOW, with additional water quality modeling in HEC-RAS and AQUATOX. Internally, Ms. Loehmann manages tasks and schedules to ensure the project moves forward on time and within budget. Externally, Ms. Loehmann coordinates with multiple stakeholders including the client and other subconsultants to coordinate work, evaluate modeling alternatives, and move the final modeling effort toward completion.

Resilient Danbury: Flood Mitigation and Resiliency Plan. Danbury, CT. Project Director.* Elsa Loehmann, PE, served as Project Director for the Resilient Danbury Climate Adaptation Options study, leading a multidisciplinary team in the development of innovative strategies to address climate vulnerabilities within the City of Danbury, Connecticut. This comprehensive project focused on assessing climate risks, including flooding and extreme heat, and identifying actionable adaptation measures to enhance community resilience. The study emphasized equitable approaches to climate adaptation, integrating community input to ensure that proposed solutions addressed the needs of vulnerable populations. Key recommendations included nature-based solutions, infrastructure upgrades, and strategic land use planning to mitigate climate impacts while promoting sustainable growth. Ms. Loehmann’s leadership was instrumental in delivering a forward-looking plan that serves as a model for municipalities seeking to navigate the complexities of climate resilience and adaptation.

Meriden Green Intermodal Transportation and Revitalization Project. Meriden, CT. Lead Restoration Design / Flood Control.* Hailed as one of the largest flood control projects permitted in Connecticut in the past 25 years, Ms. Loehmann led a comprehensive restoration effort that returned the stream to its original location and included the construction of pools and riffles using native stones and boulders. The stream channel was planted with native, low-maintenance wetland species to enhance

riparian habitat. Landforms were designed to manage the 100-year flood event while providing a natural aesthetic for the park and creating spaces for civic events and recreation. This landmark project involved one of the most complex permitting processes in the state, requiring approvals from a wide range of federal, state, and local environmental agencies. The Meriden Green has since earned 17 international, national, and regional awards, including the prestigious American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Honor Award and ACEC-CT Grand Award, the highest honor in the state. Ms. Loehmann secured $11.7 million in FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant funding for a subsequent phase of the Harbor Brook Master Plan located downstream of the Meriden Green. This project was instrumental in extending the flood mitigation benefits initiated upstream while integrating additional nature-based solutions to enhance resilience. The project included the redesign and naturalization of Harbor Brook to increase floodplain storage, improve aquatic habitat, and reduce flood risks for adjacent properties.

Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. New Haven, Connecticut. Project Director.* Ms. Loehmann co-prepared a natural hazard mitigation plan for the City of New Haven, Connecticut. She evaluated hazard effects of sea level rise, inland and coastal flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and land subsidence. Ms. Loehmann’s team recommended improvements including land acquisition, beach nourishment, changes to regulations and municipal zoning, as well as structural and infrastructure

improvements.

Town Brook Restoration. Plymouth, Massachusetts. Project Director.* The Town Brook Restoration project in Plymouth, Massachusetts, stands as a regionally significant achievement in river and habitat restoration. Elsa Loehmann, PE, led all aspects of this transformative effort, including design, permitting, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, and collaboration with clients, regulatory agencies, and community stakeholders. By removing several dams on Town Brook, the project reconnected migratory fish from the Atlantic Ocean to their historic spawning habitat in the Billington Sea, reinstating herring runs that had been decimated by centuries of damming. Ms. Loehmann’s leadership ensured the integration of coastal considerations, such as sea-level rise, into the design, while also reducing flooding risks in nearby neighborhoods through updated FEMA floodplain analysis. Her ability to balance ecological restoration with community priorities resulted in a design that not only enhanced aquatic organism passage but also addressed local resilience and safety. This nationally recognized project highlights Ms. Loehmann’s expertise in leading innovative, sustainable solutions that restore ecosystems and benefit communities.

*Projects completed at previous firms

LEADERSHIP

For more info on us...