4 May 2022

AIS Data Case Study: Dredge Material Placement Site Evaluation in Frederick Sound near Petersburg, Alaska

Abstract: The purpose of this Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory Technical Note (CHETN) is to present an application of historic vessel position information acquired through the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which provides geo-referenced and time-stamped vessel position information. The US Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District (POA), needed to evaluate potential placement sites for dredged material near Petersburg, AK, and possible impacts to navigation were considered as part of the evaluation process.

29 Mar 2022

Evaluating Cross-Shore Sediment Grain Size Distribution, Sediment Transport, and Morphological Evolution of a Nearshore Berm at Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Abstract: Navigation channels are periodically dredged to maintain safe depths. Dredged sediment was historically placed in upland management areas or in offshore disposal areas. Florida state law prohibits placement of beach fill sediment that contains more than 10% by weight of silt and clay, which is typically a characteristic of dredged material. An alternative is placement in a nearshore berm. Some potential benefits of nearshore berms include wave energy dissipation, reduced cost of dredging and shore protection, and possible onshore movement of the berm material. This study considers sediment distribution, morphological evolution, sediment transport, and shoreline trends along Fort Myers Beach, Florida, related to the nearshore berm constructed in August 2016. Due to timing of the field study, this report also includes information on the influence of a major hurricane that impacted the area. The overall conclusion of this study is that the dredge-sourced sediment in the berm performed as expected. Within 2 years, the berm adjusted to the shoreface environment, maintained a large part of its original volume, and contributed to protection of the beach and shoreline. The impact of Hurricane Irma included a shift in sediment textures and a large but temporary increase in shoreface sediment volumes.

1 Dec 2021

Sediment Transport Modeling at Stono Inlet and Adjacent Beaches, South Carolina

Abstract: This report documents a numerical modeling investigation for dredged material from nearshore borrow areas and placed on Folly Beach adjacent to Stono Inlet, South Carolina. Historical and newly collected wave and hydrodynamic data around the inlet were assembled and analyzed. The datasets were used to calibrate and validate a coastal wave, hydrodynamic and sediment transport model, the Coastal Modeling System. Sediment transport and morphology changes within and around the immediate vicinity of the Stono Inlet estuarine system, including sand borrow areas and nearshore Folly Beach area, were evaluated. Results of model simulations show that sand removal in the borrow areas increases material backfilling, which is more significant in the nearshore than the offshore borrow areas. In the nearshore Folly Beach area, the dominant flow and sediment transport directions are from the northeast to the southwest. Net sediment gain occurs in the central and southwest sections while net sediment loss occurs in the northeast section of Folly Island. A storm and a 1-year simulation developed for the study produce a similar pattern of morphology changes, and erosion and deposition around the borrow areas and the nearshore Folly Beach area.

19 Jul 2021

Metrics of Success for Nearshore Nourishment Projects Constructed with Dredged Sediment

Purpose: This Regional Sediment Management Technical Note (RSM TN) provides practical metrics of success for nearshore nourishment projects constructed with dredged sediment. Clearly defined goals and performance metrics for projects will set clear expectations and will lead to long-term project support from local stakeholders and the public.

16 Jun 2021

Field Measurement and Monitoring of Hydrodynamic and Suspended Sediment within the Seven Mile Island Innovation Laboratory, New Jersey

Abstract: The Seven Mile Island Innovation Laboratory (SMIIL) was launched in 2019 to evaluate beneficial use of dredge material management practices in coastal New Jersey. As part of that effort, the Philadelphia District requested that the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, collect data to characterize the hydrodynamics and turbidity within the central portions of the SMIIL prior to and during dredge material placement. Pre-dredge monitoring found that apart from punctuated wind events, the study area waters were generally calm and clear with small waves, <0.25 m, slow current speeds (~0.1 m/s), low turbidity (~10 ntus), and low suspended sediment concentrations (~10–20 mg/L). In March 2020, 2,475 m3 of dredged sediment was placed on the northern portion of Sturgeon Island within the SMIIL. Turbidity in the waters surrounding the island was monitored to quantify extent of the sediment plume resulting from the placement. Observations found little to no turbidity plume associated with the dredging operations beyond 20 m from the island and that the plume was largely limited to areas near a tidal creek draining the placement area. Additionally, turbidity levels quickly returned to background conditions at times when the dredge was not in operation.

29 Jan 2021

Environmental Applications of 3D Printing Polymer Composites for Dredging Operations

Abstract: This Dredging Operations Environmental Research (DOER) technical note disseminates novel methods to monitor and reduce contaminant mobility and bioavailability in water, sediments, and soils. These method advancements are enabled by additive manufacturing (i.e., three-dimensional [3D] printing) to deploy and retrieve materials that adsorb contaminants that are traditionally applied as unbound powders. Examples of sorbents added as amendments for remediation of contaminated sediments include activated carbon, biochar, biopolymers, zeolite, and sand caps. Figure 1 provides examples of sorbent and photocatalytic particles successfully compounded and 3D printed using polylactic acid as a binder. Additional adsorptive materials may be applicable and photocatalytic materials (Friedmann et al. 2019) may be applied to degrade contaminants of concern into less hazardous forms. This technical note further describes opportunities for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project managers and the water and sediment resource management community to apply 3D printing of polymers containing adsorptive filler materials as a prototyping tool and as an on-site, on-demand manufacturing capability to remediate and monitor contaminants in the environment. This research was funded by DOER project 19-13, titled “3D Printed Design for Remediation and Monitoring of Dredged Material.”

1 Oct 2020

Hydrodynamic and Sediment Transport Modeling for James River Dredged Material Management

Abstract: The fate of material placed during dredging operations within the James River (Dancing Point-Swann Point reach) at a channel adjacent placement mound was modeled within this work. The study focuses on the potential migration of the placement mound into the channel as well as the transport of sediment resuspended during placement. A select combination of US Army Engineer Research and Development-developed models was utilized in this work to appropriately simulate hydrodynamic conditions, pipeline discharge near field suspended sediment estimates, far field transport of the pipeline discharge source term, and mound migration. Results show that the material released into the water column during placement remains in the placement area or is transported out of the area of interest downstream. A small fraction of sediment from the placement mound migrates into the channel after placement. The fine-grained nature of these sediments precludes these small volumes of sediment from depositing in the channel where the currents are strong.

1 Oct 2020

Acid Sulfate Soils in Coastal Environments: A Review of Basic Concepts and Implications for Restoration

Abstract: Acid sulfate soils naturally occur in many coastal regions. However, the oxidation of acid sulfate soils can decrease soil pH to <4.0, affecting vegetation and aquatic organisms. Acid sulfate soil oxidation typically occurs where anaerobic sediments or soils were exposed to aerobic conditions (for example, extended drought, artificial drainage, or dredged material placement in upland areas). Recently, field observations documented the formation of acid sulfate materials at multiple degraded marsh restoration locations (Rhode Island, New Jersey, California) following intentional dredged sediment placement into wetland environments designed to increase marsh elevation. Unlike previous studies of acid sulfate soils, the in situ dredged material did not contain acid sulfate–bearing materials at the time of placement; instead, the interaction between the marsh substrate and the overlying dredged material appears to have caused the formation of acid sulfate soils. These findings highlight the need for additional studies of acid sulfate soil formation and fate—especially within a marsh restoration context. In response, this report provides a review of literature related to acid sulfate soils, discusses preliminary data collected to evaluate acid sulfate material formation following marsh restoration, and identifies knowledge gaps requiring additional research and technical guidance.

20 Aug 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Utilizing Stream Flows to Forecast Dredging Requirements

Abstract: In recent years, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has spent an average of approximately a billion dollars annually for navigation channel maintenance dredging. To execute these funds effectively, USACE districts must determine which navigation channels are most in need of maintenance dredging each year. Traditionally, dredging volume estimates for Operations and Maintenance budget development are based on experiential knowledge and historic averages, with the effects of upstream, precipitation-driven streamflows considered via general-rule approximations. This study uses the Streamflow Prediction Tool, a hydrologic routing model driven by global weather forecast ensembles, and dredging records from the USACE Galveston District to explore relationships between precipitation-driven inland channel flow and subsequent dredged volumes in the downstream coastal channel reaches. Spatially based regression relationships are established between cumulative inland flows and dredged volumes. Results in the test cases of the Houston Ship Channel and the Sabine-Neches Waterway in Texas indicate useful correlations between the computed streamflow volumes and recorded dredged volumes. These relationships are stronger for channel reaches farther inland, upstream of the coastal processes that are not included in the precipitation-driven hydrologic model.

11 Aug 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Post-Project Monitoring of a Navigation Solution in a Dynamic Coastal Environment, Smith Island, Maryland: Year One of Post-Project Monitoring

Abstract: In 2018, jetties and a sill were constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) adjacent to the Sheep Pen Gut Federal Channel at Rhodes Point, Smith Island, Maryland. These navigation improvements were constructed under Section 107 of the Continuing Authorities Program. Material dredged for construction of the navigation structures and realignment of the channel were used to restore degraded marsh. Following construction and dredging, 1 year of post-project monitoring was performed to evaluate the performance of navigation improvements with respect to the prevention of shoaling within the Sheep Pen Gut channel, shoreline changes, and impacts to submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Given the short period of record after the completion of the navigation improvements, it was difficult to draw conclusions regarding stability of the channel, structures, and shoreline. Therefore, this report documents methodology and baseline conditions for monitoring, except for SAV, which was found to be potentially impacted by construction. A second year of monitoring was funded by the USACE Regional Sediment Management Program for fiscal year 2020. Findings can be used to inform plan formulation and design for USACE navigation projects by illuminating considerations for placement of structures to prevent shoaling and by informing SAV management decisions.