Dredged Material Management Categories for Tracking Beneficial Use.

摘要

Sediment dredged for navigation projects are relocated for either: (1) disposal; or (2) beneficial use. The volume of sediment dredged from navigation projects is quantified at the project level. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Navigation Data Center (NDC) compiles the project level information and prepares statistics at the Corps-wide level. The NDC maintains information on type of dredge plant, volume of sediments dredged, cost, and type of material disposal. The category type of material disposal does not discern between disposal and beneficial use; therefore, the volume of sediment used for beneficial use is not known with certainty. The purpose of this technical note is to present twelve categories to be used universally for tracking dredged material management that will allow for quantification of sediment that is managed for disposal, as well as beneficial use. These categories were vetted through a survey to USACE Division Navigation Managers, as well as several District Navigation Managers. A secondary purpose of this technical note is to provide an estimate of the sediment relocated for beneficial use during navigation projects. Although the NDC does not differentiate disposal and beneficial use, the database is currently the most comprehensive information available regarding dredged material management; and, with professional judgment, an estimate is achievable, albeit the range of the estimate is large. Consistent dredged material management terminology is an integral step toward the dredging industry being credited for environmental and social benefits created due to relocation of sediment during navigational dredging projects. Accurate tracking of navigational dredged material will also enable scientists and resource managers to gain an improved understanding of Regional Sediment Management (RSM) actions or opportunities to improve the use of sediments. Understanding the volume of dredged material relocated within the littoral system compa