29 Aug 2025

Adaptive Management Framework for Microseira wollei in Lake St. Clair, Michigan

Abstract: Microseira wollei has grown to problematic densities within Lake St. Clair, located between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Though stakeholders have issued a call-to-action for the management of M. wollei, no substantive plan exists, which was the impetus for this adaptive management framework. Field surveys, emerging technologies, laboratory evaluations, and a literature review were integrated to develop this site-specific frame-work. Adaptive management consists of a series of iterative steps to define and characterize the issue; identify goals, plan, and prioritize; determine a plan; implement management; measure the outcomes; and adapt and re-fine the plan. M. wollei is widely distributed within the study area and across large sections of the lake bed. Due to its large spatial extent, long-term management should focus on regaining and maintaining uses within Lake St. Clair that have been affected by shoreline accumulations. Mechanical removal is anticipated to be the most effective tool; however, the potential addition of algaecides or nutrient sequestration products could be explored for increased effectiveness. The planning and execution of a substantive management plan for M. wollei in Lake St. Clair are outlined and described, but effective management will require a concerted effort on a scale that matches the scope of the problem.

28 Aug 2025

South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACS) Calibration and Validation of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CSTORM) for Water Levels and Waves Part 3. Gulf of Mexico Domain

Abstract: The US Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division, is currently engaged in the South Atlantic Coastal Study. One of the phases of this study is focused on conducting coastal storm modeling for the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico coastline of the United States. This technical report details the development of input for the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CSTORM) suite of models (WAVEWATCH III, ADCIRC, and STWAVE) for this project and presents the efforts made to calibrate model setups and validate results for eight historical tropical storm events impacting the study area.

28 Aug 2025

South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACS) Calibration and Validation of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CSTORM-MS) for Water Levels and Waves: Part 2. South Atlantic Coast Domain

Abstract: The US Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division, is currently engaged in the South Atlantic Coastal Study. One of the phases of this study is focused on conducting coastal storm modeling for the southern Atlantic coastline of the United States. This technical report details the development of input for the Coastal Storm Modeling System suite of models (WAVEWATCH III, ADCIRC, and STWAVE) for this project and presents the efforts made to calibrate model setups and validate results for seven historical tropical storm events impacting the study area.

28 Aug 2025

South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACS) Calibration and Validation of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CSTORM-MS) for Water Levels and Waves: Part 1: Puerto Rico / US Virgin Island Domain

Abstract: The US Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division, is currently engaged in the South Atlantic Coastal Study. One of the phases of this study is focused on conducting coastal storm modeling for the Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. This technical report details the development of input for the Coastal Storm Modeling System suite of models (WAVEWATCH III, ADCIRC, and STWAVE) for this project and presents the efforts made to calibrate model setups and validate results for four historical tropical storm events impacting the study area.

27 Aug 2025

Evaluating Transport of Stockpiled Mississippi River System Sand for Beach Nourishment and Other Uses

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Rock Island and St. Paul Districts, maintain 876 miles of shallow-draft navigation channels, dredging approximately 2 million cubic yards of clean, fine- to medium-grained sands from these waterways annually. Due to system constraints and certain state regulatory policies, most of this dredged material (DM) is placed in upland and island facilities. As these dredge placement areas fill with sediment, the districts need to remove sediment to create additional storage or seek new land acquisition. While a significant amount of this DM is being locally used beneficially, the current uses are opportunity driven and dictated by proximity. As such, the districts continue to seek alternative beneficial use practices. One major limiting factor to increased beneficial use is the cost of material transport. Per the Federal Standard, USACE will use the least costly DM placement alternatives that are consistent with sound engineering practices and meet federal environmental requirements. Transport beyond traditional placement sites typically costs much more. The analysis described in this report reviews nontraditional transportation modes and routes to match distant needs with river sediment.

27 Aug 2025

Methods for 3D Printing Dredge Sediments to Sequester Contaminants

Purpose: This technical note describes methods for preparing dredged sediment and commercially available clay for 3D printing, focusing on achieving optimal consistency and properties for successful extrusion. These methods establish best practices for using dredged sediments in 3D printing applications.

27 Aug 2025

Demonstration of a Remotely Operated Vehicle for Inspecting the Chicago Electrical Fish Dispersal Barrier

Purpose: This report describes the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) application of a remotely operated vehicle to inspect an electrical fish dispersal barrier at the bottom of the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal (CSSC) for the US Army Corps of Engineers–Chicago District.

26 Aug 2025

Tampa Harbor, Florida, Navigation Improvement Study

Abstract: The Port of Tampa Bay services approximately 30.5 million tons of cargo each year (based on 2017–2021 data) and is situated on the Tampa Bay/Orlando I-4 Corridor, which serves the largest concentration of distribution centers in the state. To expand operations to include direct Asia, Mexico, and Central America services, numerous port facility improvements were required. This rapid expansion of port capabilities led to increasing difficulty of port efficiency and navigation. A study was conducted investigating proposed channel improvements addressing these issues. In 2022 and 2023, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) assisted the US Army Corps of Engineers–Jacksonville District in evaluating proposed deepening and widening alternatives in Tampa Harbor by completing a ship simulation study using ERDC’s Ship/Tow Simulator. During this study, focus areas were passing lanes in Cut B and Gadsden Point Cut, the turning basin at Hooker’s Point/Port Sutton, the turn widener between Cut F and Gadsden Point Cut, and turns into Alafia and Big Bend. The proposed design was evaluated over the course of 2 weeks with four pilots. Proposed modifications were assessed through analysis of data resulting from the ship simulations including track plots, run sheets, and final pilot surveys.

26 Aug 2025

Miami Harbor Navigation Improvements Study

Abstract: In 2019, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), Ship/Tow Simulator (STS), was used to perform a navigation study assisting the US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District. The study evaluates channel improvements to allow larger containerships to call at the Port of Miami. This study also evaluates improvements associated with the proposed cruise terminals. This study was conducted at the CHL real-time STS. Real-time refers to the fact that model time uses a 1:1 ratio to prototype time. In addition, real world environmental forces were simulated and acted upon the modeled ships during the study. These forces included currents, wind, bathymetry, and bank effects. Simulations for the project improvements were conducted at CHL for 3 weeks in August 2019 and 1 week in November 2019. Seven Biscayne Bay pilots participated in the validation and testing exercises. The design vessels include the MSC Daniela (14,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit [TEU]) container ship, the Majestic Maersk (18,000 TEU) container ship, the Allure of the Seas cruise ship, the Disney Dream cruise ship, and the M/S Paradise cruise ship. Results, in the form of track plots and pilot questionnaires, were reviewed to develop conclusions and recommendations.

26 Aug 2025

Evaluating Beneficial Use in the 1998–2021 Sediment Placement Data with Updated Placement Categories

Purpose: The objective of this study was to provide a comparable Beneficial Use (BU) to Disposal ratio for the data within the “historic” 1998–2021 Sediment Placement Data Viewer to the data within the 2022–Present Sediment Placement Data Viewer. In conjunction with this primary objective, a secondary target was to quantify a historic average volume of sediment placed by US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) annually on a national scale.