Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material Around the US: From Land Building to Marsh Restoration
Dredging of lakes, rivers, and other waterways is a necessity in many areas for navigational, water quality, and other needs in Virginia. In recent years, there has been increased interest in identifying ways to beneficially use this dredged material. This presentation will use project examples from around the US to showcase ways to beneficially use dredged material that are applicable to Virginia. The projects will range from large- to small-scale and identify challenges and opportunities with this kind of construction. Some of these project examples are listed below. Land Building – After construction of a breakwater to reduce extreme shoreline erosion, dredged material was used to accelerate land-building in the newly protected area. The dredged material allowed for natural vegetation restoration that has since created a vibrant local ecosystem. Bird Island Creation – A rookery island was designed to beneficially use dredged material from a nearby port and USACE dredging projects. The island design allows for multiple large- and small-scale dredging events. Living Shorelines – Dredged material was used to create marsh mounds that mimicked the natural elevation variation to encourage healthy vegetative growth. Each of these projects and the other projects to be highlighted had individual challenges that will be discussed. These challenges include permitting, sediment characteristics, planning for multiple dredging events, and erosion concerns. While the highlighted projects vary in construction type, they show the variety of potential uses of dredged material.
Author Bio
Erin Rooney, PE, CFM is the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Lead for HDR. She has over 15 years of experience on coastal and dredging projects with an emphasis on projects on the Gulf and East Coasts. She serves on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association and on the national board of the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute of ASCE.
