Natural Systems Design

What Natural Systems Design does

Natural Systems Design, Inc. is a privately held environmental engineering and restoration consulting firm founded in 2003 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with additional offices in Bellingham and Port Angeles. The firm operates as an integrated practice combining ecology, geomorphology, hydrology, hydraulics, and engineering to design river, stream, wetland, floodplain, coastal, and fisheries habitat restoration projects for government agencies, tribal governments, conservation districts, and environmental nonprofits across Washington and Oregon.

The firm's core offerings span Rivers, Streams, and Floodplains Services; Coastal Restoration and Coastal Engineering services; Fisheries Habitat Restoration; Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessments; and Habitat Recovery Pilot Program (HRPP) permitting consulting. Its technical differentiation rests on proprietary, peer-validated methods including Large Wood Jam Hydraulic Modeling (Delft3D-FLOW based, reducing velocity RMSE by 42.8%), Engineered Hyporheic Zone Design techniques, a GIS-based Alluvial Water Storage screening framework, and emerging-contaminant attenuation assessment using high-resolution mass spectrometry. In September 2023 the firm acquired Coastal Geologic Services (CGS), extending the practice into coastal management and bringing in coastal geologists such as Jim Johannessen (200+ coastal projects) and Avery Maverick.

Commercially, NSD generates revenue through time-and-materials and fixed-fee project contracts secured via competitive bidding and direct relationships with public-sector clients. Distribution is enterprise field sales led by principals to government, tribal, and nonprofit buyers. The firm emphasizes thought leadership through an extensive technical publications library, a Speaker Series, conference participation, and press coverage, and is registered as an engineering firm in Washington and Oregon with team members holding PE, LG, PLA, and PWS credentials. The firm has remained privately held since founding with no disclosed external capital, headcount in the 11–50 band, and recognized industry credibility through ACEC and APWA awards in 2023–2024.

Name

Natural Systems Design

Legal name

Natural Systems Design, Inc.

Website

https://naturaldes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Natural Systems Design is a Seattle-based environmental engineering and restoration consulting firm, founded in 2003, that designs river, floodplain, coastal, and fisheries habitat projects for government agencies, tribal governments, and conservation districts across Washington and Oregon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Engineering and Restoration Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hydropower Environmental & Fish Passage Solutions (EUACAEAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental restoration consulting
• River restoration engineering
• Watershed restoration services
• Coastal engineering services
• Habitat restoration design

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting and Engineering Services: Professional consulting services provided to government agencies, tribal organizations, conservation districts, and nonprofits for environmental restoration projects. Revenue generated through time and materials contracts or fixed-fee project arrangements for engineering design, environmental assessment, restoration planning, and construction oversight services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Natural Systems Design is an environmental engineering and restoration consulting firm providing integrated science, engineering, and design services for river, stream, floodplain, wetland, coastal, and watershed restoration projects. The firm delivers site assessment, feasibility studies, alternatives analysis, preliminary and final design, permitting support, and construction administration for habitat restoration and aquatic ecosystem recovery. Services span salmonid habitat enhancement, bank stabilization, dam removal, floodplain reconnection, hyporheic restoration, and sea level rise vulnerability assessment.

Product overview

Natural Systems Design is an environmental engineering and restoration consulting firm offering a portfolio of interconnected professional services centered on aquatic ecosystem restoration. The core offerings include Rivers, Streams, and Floodplains Services, Coastal Restoration Services, Fisheries Habitat Restoration, and Coastal Engineering. The firm operates as a unified practice where expertise in geomorphology, hydrology, hydraulics, and engineering is applied across all service areas. In September 2023, NSD expanded its capabilities through the acquisition of Coastal Geologic Services (CGS), integrating coastal management expertise into its existing river and wetland restoration services. Additional offerings include Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessments, HRPP permitting consulting, technical publications, and an educational Speaker Series program. The firm is registered as an engineering firm in Washington and Oregon states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rivers, Streams, and Floodplains Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Hyporheic vertical water flux increased 89x pre-construction rate at restored sites
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nooksack Indian TribecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Sponsored South Fork Nooksack River Homesteader Reach Restoration, constructed in 2024. NSD designed the habitat restoration project as part of the Habitat Recovery Pilot Program.
• Grays Harbor Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborated on Wynoochee River Watershed Tributary Restoration project and Schafer Creek Pilot Project. GHCD sponsored the restoration design and hand-built the project in summer 2022. NSD provided hands-on construction support and created effectiveness monitoring plan.
• North Olympic Salmon CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsored Snow Creek Uncas Preserve Channel Restoration Project, constructed in 2023. NSD provided design services for the habitat restoration project.
• Yakama NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored Tieton River, River Mile 4.3 Restoration through the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project. NSD provided restoration design services. Construction currently underway in 2025.
• Cascade FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored Lower Peschastin Creek Habitat Restoration project. NSD provided design services for construction planned for 2025.
• Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored Lower Big Quilcene River Moon Valley Reach Floodplain Restoration project. NSD provided design services for construction planned for 2025.
• Puyallup Tribe of IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner on multiple projects including Clarks Creek Channel Stabilization and South Prairie Creek Floodplain Restoration. NSD developed designs and supported permitting for tribal restoration projects.
• South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary client for South Prairie Creek Floodplain Restoration project. NSD provided complete engineering and design services for the salmon habitat restoration project.
• Seattle City LightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted by Seattle City Light for Sullivan Creek Large Wood Enhancement Project to restore instream habitat within Sullivan Creek for native fish under FERC License requirements.
• City of BellinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary client for Little Squalicum Estuary Project ($6.1M). NSD served as lead design firm performing coastal engineering, coastal geological analysis and design, and design team coordination. City raised money for the project and NSD created updated cost estimates.
• Coastal Geologic Services (CGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGS joined Natural Systems Design in September 2023. CGS serves coastal land managers through assessment and design projects and provides regional science studies primarily in Puget Sound. This acquisition expanded NSD's interdisciplinary team and capabilities to include coastal management and engineering.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with NSD on research including forest management effects on snow storage study in the Eastern Cascades. NSD worked with TNC, UW, and SPU on 3 years of snow observation data collection.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaborator on multiple studies including forest management and snow storage research, sea level rise vulnerability assessments, and hyporheic restoration studies.
• Seattle Public UtilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research including forest management effects on snow storage study in the Eastern Cascades region.
• Puget Sound PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced HRPP project map highlighting NSD projects across Washington state for the Floodplains by Design webinar assessment of the Habitat Recovery Pilot Program.
• Washington Department of Fish & WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDFW's Habitat Recovery Pilot Program enables NSD-designed projects to receive expedited authorization. NSD projects have been prominently featured among the approximately 45 projects employing the pilot program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Cascadia Consulting Group: PNW-based environmental and sustainability consulting firm serving government and tribal clients on related planning, climate, and natural resource projects.

Direct peers

• Aspect Consulting: PNW-based environmental and water resources consulting firm focused on hydrogeology, stormwater, and restoration - competes for similar municipal and tribal clients.
• Geomorphic Services: Small specialist firm focused on river geomorphology and restoration engineering with comparable niche services to NSD's engineered logjam and stream restoration work.
• Stillwater Sciences: Specialist fluvial geomorphology and river restoration consulting firm with strong PNW presence and academic collaboration model very similar to NSD's approach.
• Anchor QEA: Seattle-based environmental and water resources engineering consulting firm serving PNW government and tribal clients on river, estuary, and coastal restoration - directly comparable niche and geography.

Broad incumbents

• Brown and Caldwell: Environmental engineering and consulting firm focused on water and wastewater with growing stormwater and watershed restoration capabilities, serving many of the same PNW municipal clients.
• ICF International: Large consulting firm with substantial environmental and climate adaptation practice working with government agencies on restoration, water resources, and resilience projects.
• Tetra Tech: Global environmental and engineering consulting firm with a large water and restoration practice that competes for federal, state, and tribal restoration contracts across the PNW.
• SWCA Environmental Consultants: National environmental consulting firm with strong Western U.S. practice providing ecological, permitting, and restoration services overlapping with NSD's offerings.
• ESA (Environmental Science Associates): Large California-based environmental consulting firm with significant PNW practice offering planning, design, and regulatory services across restoration, water, and coastal projects - broader portfolio but overlapping client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natural-systems-design
• Facebookfacebook.com/naturalsystemsdesign

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Natural Systems Design