Managing Dredged Sediment for Beneficial Purpose,

A Conceptual Framework

John L. Childs, P.E.

Corps of Engineers-Engineer Research and Development Center

PIANC USA and ASCE-

COPRI DREDGING 2012

San Diego, CA 22-25 October 2012

Beneficial Use Initiative

Objective: The Beneficial Use Initiative is to increase awareness of BU opportunities and provide guidelines to increase the beneficial use of dredged material generated during support of the Corps of Engineers’ navigation mission.

Note: The Corps’ Engineer Manual EM 1110-2-5026 is dated 30 June 1987

Beneficial Use Initiative

• Estimate past beneficial use volumes.• Provide consistent beneficial use terminology.• Track beneficial use.

• Identify funding and collaboration opportunities.

• Identify dredged material optimization tools.

• Prepare a method to quantify the environmental value.

• Prepare technical guidelines to evaluate and perform beneficial use projects, and

• Monitor and apply adaptive management.

Corps 1987 EM 1110-2-5026: Beneficial Use is utilizing dredged material as a resource in a productive way, which provide environmental, economic, and/or social benefits.

National Dredging Team’s Dredged Material Management: Action Agenda for the Next Decade (2003): Much of the sediment dredged each could be used in a beneficial manner, such as habitat restoration and creation, beach nourishment, and industrial and commercial development; yet much of this dredged material is disposed in open water, confined disposal facilities, and upland disposal facilities;Beneficial use must become a priority at all levels of management and there must be recognition that dredged material is a valuable resource (EPA 2003). DM is a valuable Resource with beneficial uses of such importance that they should be incorporated into project plans.Technical Framework, EPA/USACE2004.

Dredged Material SEDIMENT as a

RESOURCE

Technical Guidance for Management of Dredged

Material

USEPA and USACE 2004Evaluating Environmental Effects of

DM Management Alternatives (33CFR 336.1)

(A Technical Framework)USEPA/USACE 1991

Marine Protection Research and

Sanctuaries Act

Ocean Testing Manual

USEPA/USACE 1998

Clean Water Act

Inland Testing Manual

USACE 2003

Five Risk Pathways for

CDFs

Island, Nearshore, or Upland Testing

Manual

Technical Guidance for Management of Dredged

Material

USEPA and USACE 2004Evaluating Environmental Effects of

DM Management Alternatives (33CFR 336.1)

(A Technical Framework)USEPA/USACE 1991

Marine Protection Research and

Sanctuaries Act

Ocean Testing Manual

USEPA/USACE 1998

Clean Water Act

Inland Testing Manual

USACE 2003

Five Risk Pathways for

CDFs

Island, Nearshore, or Upland Testing

Manual

USACE and USEPAAquatic Placement of Dredged Material: Testing, Evaluation, Assessment, and Management

Manual (TEAMM)

Estimate past beneficial use volumes

beach nourishment5%

con-fined9%

inwa-ter

con-fined1%

mixed

10%

overboard and open water47%

open wa-

ter & up-land5%

beach

nour-ish-

ment & up-land1%

up-land7% wet-

land nour-ish-

ment and cre-ation8%

undefined or not described7%

Dredged Sediment Management Type

1995-2011

Estimate past beneficial use volumes

Table 3. Dredged Material Management Category as tracked by DIS (DIS data-base 29-Feb-2012), with estimates of Beneficial Use

Tracker (Disp_Type)

Material Management Category Percentage of total Dredged Material Management from 1995 to 2011

Estimated Percent of Dredged Material Potentially used Beneficially

B Beach Nourishment 5 5C Confined 9 1-5D Underwater Confined 1 0-1M Mixed, more than one type 10 4-8O Overboard and open water 47 10-30S Open water and upland 5 1-5T Beach nourishment and upland 1 1U Upland 7 1-5W Wetlands nourishment or creation 8 8

X Undefined 7 2-5

Total 100 33-73

UplandNearsho

reOnshore

Shallow Water

Deep Water

DM Placement Options: Location-Specific

Beneficial Use Terminology

Beneficial Use Alternatives--

Purpose•Habitat Restoration and Development

•Sustainable Relocation (RSM) •Beach Nourishment•Shoreline Stabilization and Protection

•Engineered Capping•Aquaculture, Agriculture, Forestry, and Horticulture

•Recreational Development•Commercial Land Development

•Commercial Product Development

Guidance: Planning/Funding/Authorities

Identify funding and collaboration opportunities

Technical Guidance: Wetland Engineering and

Upland Management

http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/dots/budm/budm.cfm

Prepare method to quantify the environmental value

If ecosystem services are included in the decision-making paradigm, a more holistic approach to management and operations can occur–one that considers an ecosystem-based perspective (Burks-Copes, et al. in progress).

Ecosystem• dynamic complex of plant, animal, and microorganism communities

and the nonliving environment interacting as a functional unit. • Humans are an integral part of ecosystems. • Ecosystems vary enormously in size; a temporary pond in a tree

hollow and an ocean basin can both be ecosystems

Ecosystem services benefits people, including: provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as regulation of floods, drought, land degradation, and disease;supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling; and cultural services such as recreational, spiritual, religious and other nonmaterial benefits” UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

Existing Quantification Methodologies

• Value= significance + Quality + Quantity• HEP-Habitat Evaluation Procedure• EBI-Environmental Benefit Indicator• HBU-Habitat Benefit Units• EBU-Environmental Benefit Unit• Ecosystem Services• Economic Analysis of Ecosystem-Based

Management

Prepare method to quantify the environmental value

Quantification General Approach

• Define Categories• Develop Conceptual Models for Categories• List Features (BU) and Attributes (benefits)• Identify various methods for quantification• Determine weighting factor for each variable• Develop algorithm to quantify cost to environmental

benefit ratio • Illustrate method with several case studies (past or

current)• Monitoring/Update CSM

Prepare method to quantify the environmental value

DM-BU Opportuniti

es

• Upland• Onshore/

nearshore

• Shallow water

• Deep water

Material Suitability

• Physical• Chemical• Biologica

l• Regulato

ry

Site Selection

• Distance• Slope• Elevation• Dredge

compatibility

• Public support

Placement Logistics• Hydrodynamics

• Fine Sediment Processes

• Dredge compatibility

• Stability• Engineeri

ng Tools

Funding

• Base Plan

• Sponsors• Engineeri

ng Tools• MCDA—

D2M2

Technical Guidelines

RSM and EWN

Dredged Material Mgmt SEDIMENT is

a RESOURCE