10 Jun 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Nearshore Placement Workshop 2019: Sediment Nourishment of the Nearshore Environment

Abstract: The Coastal Inlets Research Program and the Regional Sediment Management Program co-sponsored the 2019 Nearshore Placement Workshop. Thirty-four participants from the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and numerous districts met in Vicksburg on January 29–30, 2019, as a part of the workshop. This workshop was convened to facilitate discussions on concerns districts face regarding nearshore placements from resource agencies and stakeholders, challenges to placing sediment in the nearshore, and future research needs. The workshop included ERDC presentations on the state of the science regarding nearshore placements; specific implementations of nearshore placements within various US Army Corps of Engineers districts; break-out-style discussions on nearshore placement challenges and potential paths forward; and group discussions on metrics for success, quantification of benefits, Statements of Need (SON), and research priorities. A few of the major recurring themes throughout the workshop were the importance of monitoring, concerns over the fate of fine-grained sediment, and difficulties conveying the benefits of nearshore placements to a wide range of audiences. The workshop culminated in a discussion of possible SON to be put forth to the ERDC research and development community. This special report describes the discussions and outcomes of the 2019 Nearshore Placement Workshop.

15 May 2020

Corps proposes maintenance dredging of Wood Island and Pool at Biddeford Federal navigation project in Maine

CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is proposing to perform

30 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Geochemical Fingerprinting of Sediment Sources Associated with Deposition in the Calcasieu Ship Channel

Abstract: This Regional Sediment Management Technical Note (RSM-TN) demonstrates how geochemical fingerprinting techniques were used to distinguish probable sediment sources to the Calcasieu Ship Channel (CSC). These methods were applied to sediment samples collected from suspected source areas identified in past sediment budget studies. The techniques can be used by managers and stakeholders to make more informed decisions on best practices for managing sediment and mitigating sediment deposition within the channel.

22 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: SPDAT Rainfall and Streamflow Analysis at Mobile, Alabama

ABSTRACT: This Dredging Operations and Environmental Research (DOER) program technical note (TN) seeks to explain how the Storm and Precipitation Dredging Analysis Tool (SPDAT) can be used to determine dredging response to varying rainfall levels at a given site. This TN will focus on the historical dredging records in the Mobile Bay Ship Channel and rainfall levels in that area. The analysis presented in this TN will form the basis for how the tool methodology can be used to and compare rainfall and dredging records to determine response trends at other sites. The results from the tool analysis can inform dredging managers about how much dredging may be expected under similar rainfall or tropical storm conditions for future cycles.

22 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Analysis of Nearshore Placement of Sediments at Ogden Dunes, Indiana

ABSTRACT: The harbor structures/shoreline armoring on the southern Lake Michigan shoreline interrupt sand migration. Ogden Dunes, Indiana, and the nearby Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore observed shoreline erosion due to engineered structures associated with Burns Waterway Harbor (east of Ogden Dunes) impeding natural east-to-west sediment migration. To remedy this, USACE placed over 450,000 cubic meters (m3) of dredged material post-2006 in the nearshore of Ogden Dunes. However, the effectiveness of nearshore placements for shoreline protection and littoral nourishment is not fully established. To improve nearshore placement effectiveness, USACE monitored the June/July 2016 placement and subsequent movement of 107,000 m3 of dredged material in the nearshore region at Ogden Dunes. This involved an extensive monitoring scheme (three bathymetry surveys, and two acoustic Doppler current profiler deployments), a Coastal Modeling System (CMS) numerical model of the changes following placement, and a prediction of sediment transport direction using the Sediment Mobility Tool (SMT). The SMT-predicted sediment migration direction was compared to observations. Observations indicated that between 10/11/2016 and 11/15/2016 the centroid of the sediment above the pre-placement survey moved 17 m onshore. These observations agreed with SMT predictions — onshore migration under storm and typical wave conditions. CMS accurately reproduced the hydrodynamic features.

20 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Design considerations for beneficial use sites along the Channel to Victoria, Calhoun County, Texas

Purpose: This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Regional Sediment Management (RSM) investigation considered implementation of new or historically underutilized beneficial use (BU) sites for the Channel to Victoria (CTV) in Calhoun County, Texas. The utilization of alternative  placement areas is justified on two main grounds: (1) there is cost savings associated with the shorter pump distance compared to the existing upland confined placement areas and (2) shoaling reduction relative to a without project condition. Additional benefits realized by utilizing the proposed sites include (1) increased safety for vessels navigating CTV due to the reduction/elimination of open fetch and currents, (2) additional placement options available in times of emergency dredging, and (3) increased bird habitat, particularly for the endangered whooping crane. These sites have received National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance in previous project documents, and it is anticipated minimal or no additional NEPA coordination will be required to construct/restore these sites.

14 Apr 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Numerical Sedimentation Investigation Mississippi River Cairo to Pilots Station

Report Number: MRG&P Report No. 30 Title: Numerical Sedimentation Investigation Mississippi River Cairo to Pilots Station By Ronald R. Copeland, Leslie Lombard, Roger A. Gaines Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited February 2020 Abstract:  A HEC-6T numerical model of the entire Lower Mississippi River between the end of Southwest Pass and the confluence of the Ohio River was developed. The model, which included over 1000 river miles, was calibrated to 1991-2002 measured data. The purpose of the numerical sedimentation model was to provide a tool to evaluate the long-term and system –wide effects of specific Mississippi River and Tributaries Project features. Model applications related to the effects of sediment diversions and the effects of dredging in the New Orleans District were demonstrated. The model demonstrated the effects of new constrictive works on the long-term and short-term river morphology. The model was used to test the effects of changes in upstream sediment inflow. The model’s ability to assess the effects of natural geomorphic changes, such as erosion of hard points, was demonstrated. Future application of this model to specific project sites should include the addition of more detailed geometry in the area of interest. 230 pages / 7.8 Mb

9 Apr 2020

USACE Galveston District awards second Corpus Christi Ship Channel dredging contract

GALVESTON, Texas – Yesterday the Galveston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a second multi-million dollar contract for the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project. Callan Marine, LTD, of Galveston, Texas, will receive $97.9 million, including the base contract and seven options, to dredge Lower Bay Reach as part of Corps efforts to deepen and widen the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Five more options are contained in the contract and could be activated at a later date.

27 Jan 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Fate and Effects of Microcystin in Nearshore and Upland Environments: A Literature Review

 Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/35274 Report Number: ERDC/TN DOTS-20-1Title: Fate and

24 Jan 2020

Detroit District completed busy 2019

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District recently completed a busy fiscal year 2019