27 Apr 2026

Beneficial Use and Sources of Shoaled Material at Kahului Harbor

Abstract: Ongoing sediment shoaling in Kahului Harbor is detrimental to navigation as it creates a hazard to vessels operating within the Harbor and necessitates recurring maintenance dredging. This study addressed two aspects of the shoaling in Kahului Harbor. First, the volume of shoaling sediment was estimated based on this and previous research efforts in Kahului Harbor, and the material was evaluated for potential beneficial use as beach placement material. Second, sedimentary geochemical fingerprinting including elemental composition, grain size, and sediment color was assessed and compared to potential terrestrial sources to identify the source of the shoaling sediment for potential future mitigation studies. Results determined that the size and color of the shoaling sediment was not conducive for beach placement and thus would not have a beneficial use aspect unless a need could be identified for fine-grained dark-colored sand in an upland region. Additionally, results identified western Maui as the dominant source of shoaling sediment in Kahului Harbor, likely via high flow events in the Iao Stream. Further studies are suggested to both identify potential uses for the shoaled sediment, as well as to better quantify sediment transport pathways from West Maui into Kahului Harbor to identify potential mitigation strategies.

24 Apr 2026

Conceptual Sediment Budget Creation Using CorpsCam Imagery: Holland Harbor, Michigan

Abstract: This Regional Sediment Management (RSM) technical note (TN) discusses the development of a conceptual sediment budget at Holland Harbor, Michigan, using CorpsCam imagery. Imagery from May 2020 through October 2021 was analyzed to calculate volume change along Ottawa Beach, just north of the entrance to Holland Harbor. Shoaling rates and longshore sediment transport rates were calculated to supplement the beach volume change rates, with a sediment budget developed as the final product. This is a companion piece to the ERDC/TN RSM-26-1, Conceptual Sediment Budget Creation Using CorpsCam Imagery: Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia.

24 Apr 2026

Conceptual Sediment Budget Creation Using CorpsCam Imagery: Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia

Abstract: This Regional Sediment Management technical note (RSM TN) discusses the development of a conceptual sediment budget at Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia, using CorpsCam imagery. Analysis of imagery collected between September 2022 and July 2024 is used to calculate the volume change along the beaches adjacent to the inlet. The final budget incorporates shoaling change rates and estimated longshore-sediment transport rates. This is a companion piece to the ERDC/TN RSM-26-2 Conceptual Sediment Budget Creation Using CorpsCam Imagery: Holland, Michigan.

23 Apr 2026

Sediment Transport Modeling to Evaluate the Performance of a Dredged Channel at Pohoiki Bay, Hawaiʻi, Following the Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Eruption

Abstract: The Kīlauea volcano’s Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ), located approximately 20.5 miles south-southeast from Hilo on the Island of Hawaiʻi, erupted during the summer of 2018, destroying over 700 homes and advancing the shoreline east of the volcano into the Pacific Ocean. The recently formed lava field along the shoreline eroded into Pohoiki Bay, creating a black sand beach that closed access to a boat ramp that was vital to the local community. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Honolulu District, on behalf of the State of Hawaiʻi, requested the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) conduct numerical modeling of the existing condition at and around the bay to evaluate the impact of dredging a channel through the beach to reconnect the boat ramp to the Pacific Ocean. The Coastal Modeling System (CMS) was used to evaluate the shoaling rates in the proposed channel. The model was validated with morphology change calculations from a sediment budget, and the results provide a range of possible shoaling rates in the channel. The results of this effort were used to inform the State of Hawaiʻi’s plans to complete construction of a dredged channel in November 2025.

30 Mar 2026

Water Injection Dredging—Screening for Suitability: Research and Development of Screening Criteria to Determine the Suitability of Water Injection Dredging

Abstract: Innovative technologies for sediment management could reduce dredging costs and enhance benefits from sediment resources. Water injection dredging (WID) has the potential to improve sediment management in channels and reservoirs in the United States, but conditions for feasibility and favorable applications must first be established. WID works by fluidizing a sediment bed, causing it to flow down gradient or to spread as a density current. Fluidization testing on a range of sediments shows that the liquidity index might be an effective indicator of a sediment’s susceptibility to fluidization via WID. To assess the anticipated effectiveness of WID, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the fluid mud properties of sediment from Tuttle Creek Lake, Kansas, where WID has been proposed for reservoir management. Laboratory investigations were conducted to evaluate settling characteristics, viscosity, and angles of repose of the fluid mud over a range of concentrations. Large-scale flume experiments were also conducted to track the velocity and slope of the density current. Results were used to evaluate the flow characteristics of a density current generated by WID.

26 Mar 2026

Development of a Three-Dimensional (3D) Hydrodynamic, Salinity, and Sediment Transport Model of the San Francisco Bay

Abstract: The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (ERDC-CHL), has developed the multimodule Adaptive Hydraulics (AdH) model for San Francisco Bay, incorporating hydrodynamics, salinity, and sediment transport. This model supports the US Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District in navigation and sediment management, particularly for the development of a Regional Dredged Material Management Plan to assess dredging methods and placement alternatives. San Francisco Bay is a dynamic estuary shaped by strong tidal currents, seasonal freshwater inflows, and complex sediment transport. As a key hub for international maritime trade, its federal navigation channels require regular maintenance dredging. Dredged sediment plays a crucial role in sustaining mudflats, tidal marshes, and intertidal habitats that mitigate coastal flooding and provide ecological benefits. This report documents the development, application, and validation of the AdH-3D model for 2022, demonstrating its ability to reproduce observed hydrodynamic, salinity, and sediment conditions. It details the model setup, boundary conditions, and validation, ensuring its reliability for informing sediment management and navigation planning. The model serves as a valuable tool for evaluating long-term sediment fate and optimizing regional dredging strategies.

9 Jan 2026

Design of River Training Structures Using Isogeomorphic Constraints

Abstract: Prepared for the Mississippi River Geomorphology and Potamology program of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), through the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), this report introduces the concept of river control structure design using isogeomorphic constraints. The report defines isogeomorphic design methodology and demonstrates the application of the methodology using both analytic and numerical examples. The examples investigated herein are idealized, and application to real-world conditions (such as a dike-field) would be far more complex than what is demonstrated herein. This report merely serves as an introduction to a novel design paradigm that future studies can further investigate and refine with the ultimate objective of developing improved design guidance for USACE.

16 Dec 2025

Measured and Projected Loss of Water Storage in 162 USACE Reservoirs due to Sedimentation: 1938–2074

Sediment accumulation in reservoirs is a recognized global problem with serious implications for water-supply security, flood risk reduction, and hydropower generation. This Regional Sediment Management Technical Note (RSM-TN) aggregates water-storage volume data from a sample of 162 US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reservoir projects to provide the historic and current water-storage capacity at these projects. Future trends for water storage and sedimentation impacts are then predicted through the year 2074.

7 Oct 2025

Gravel Investigations Informing Resource Management Within the Lower Mississippi River

Abstract: This report integrates available information about gravel deposits within the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) from previous studies coupled with new analysis to identify reoccurring observed gravel locations. This study also summarizes spatial and temporal trends of bed material sediment characteristics, focusing primarily on gravel. Moreover, selected data sets from previous studies, and field and aerial observations have been added to a geographic information system (GIS) database housed in ArcPro to illustrate observed gravel locations. Last, a literature review documenting the ecological importance of gravel bars to riverine fauna and a brief discussion of potential technologies to support conservation efforts are included. Major findings summarized herein are (1) the presence of gravel deposits tend to decrease in a downstream direction along the LMR; (2) qualitative analyses of aerial videos suggest that gravel-predominant bars are more common between River Miles 953 and 681; (3) past investigations have documented gravel sizes at rivers bars ranging from pebbles to boulders; (4) the gravel content in LMR bed material samples has decreased since 1932; and (5) more detailed surveys are needed to better delineate the spatial extents and depth of gravel bars and identify suitable technology to detect potential buried gravel.

19 Aug 2025

Numerical Modeling of Coastal Processes with Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment in the Nearshore at Jekyll Island, Georgia

Abstract: This report provides numerical model results to assist the US Army Corps of Engineers–Savannah District (SAS). These results evaluate beneficial use alternatives for the sediment from an advance maintenance widener of the Brunswick Harbor Entrance Channel between stations −14+000 and −28+000. This study applied a coastal wave, hydrodynamic and sediment transport model (Coastal Modeling System), and a shoreline change model (GenCade), focusing on developing and simulating placement alternatives. Subaerial placement model results indicate better shore and beach preservation than at the nearshore nourishment. Placing sediment closer to the “transition zone” between the revetment and natural beach will increase the volume of sand that remains in that area. Some sediment is predicted to return to the channel, but these volumes are small fractions of the placed material. GenCade results indicate that the transition zone rock debris decreases shoreline erosion. Removing it has less impact on that area than any of the subaerial nourishments, but this prediction does not include profile equilibration that may occur after the first 4 months. Overall, model results indicate that subaerial placement will have strong positive response at the eroding beach, and related increases to channel infilling rates are relatively small.