Beneficial Reuse of Dredge Spoils for a More Resilient Coast-Paper

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The paper argues that dredged sediments can be a valuable resource for restoring coastal marshes, beaches, shorelines, and islands rather than being confined or discarded. With sea levels rising and coastal flooding, erosion, and habitat loss increasing, beneficial reuse can improve ecological conditions and help protect communities from storm surges.<br /><br />Successful projects require careful investigation and design. Sediment and foundation properties must be assessed for contamination, strength, compressibility, settlement, and stability. Designs should account for habitat requirements, coastal processes, sea-level rise, and the possibility of erosion or scour. Site history can also help predict how soils will respond to added fill.<br /><br />Construction is challenging, especially when soft sediments are hydraulically pumped into low containment dikes. Contractors must manage placement and elevations carefully: uncontrolled discharge or releasing slurry can undermine project objectives and affect unpermitted areas. Sediment type influences handling—sand settles quickly, stiff clay may clog pipelines, and soft clay or silt pumps readily but requires containment and may settle substantially.<br /><br />Monitoring is essential to ensure the required quantity of solids is placed without overtopping dikes. Methods include tracking dredged volumes and slurry density, using grade stakes, and deploying instrumented settlement plates that measure effective stress. Strategic coordination of multiple restoration areas, along with infrastructure such as roads and pipelines, can make recurring maintenance dredging more cost-effective and create larger protective marsh barriers.<br /><br />Overall, beneficial reuse can support habitat restoration, coastal resilience, and navigation while making productive use of a renewable sediment resource. These benefits depend on projects being designed and constructed with sound geotechnical, environmental, and operational planning.

Keywords

dredged sediments

beneficial reuse

coastal marsh restoration

shoreline protection

sea level rise

storm surge

geotechnical assessment

sediment placement

construction monitoring

coastal resilience