USACE Selects 10 Beneficial Use Dredge Material Projects

The Army Corps announced last Friday, December 28, in the Federal Register the selection of ten pilot projects pursuant to Section 1122 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016.

Section 1122 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016 requires USACE to establish a pilot program to recommend ten projects for the beneficial use of dredged material.

In response to a Federal Register Notice issued on February 9, 2018, the Corps received 95 proposals for beneficial use of dredged material.

According to the Corps, those 95 proposals were evaluated by a team of subject matter experts. Based on criteria contained in Section 1122, ten projects were selected as having a high likelihood of delivering environmental, economic, and social benefits described in the proposals, and exhibit geographic diversity.

The ten recommended projects, listed alphabetically by state/territory follow:

• California: Restoring San Francisco Bay’s Natural Infrastructure with Dredged Sediment: Strategic Placement;
• Hawaii: Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor Maintenance Dredging and Beach Restoration;
• Illinois:  Public Beach Protection Pilot in Four Illinois Coastal Communities;
• Mississippi:  Deer Island Lagoon Project;
• New Jersey:  Beneficial Use Placement Opportunities in the State of New Jersey Using Navigation Channel Sediments: Barnegat Inlet;
• Puerto Rico:  Condado Lagoon;
• South Carolina:  Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary;
• Texas:  Hickory Cove Marsh Restoration and Living Shoreline;
• Washington:  Grays Harbor South Jetty Sand Placement Pilot Project;
• Wisconsin:  Mississippi River Upper Pool 4, Pierce County Islands and Head of Lake Pepin Backwater Complex—Beneficial Use of Dredged Material.

William P. Doyle, CEO/Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America commented, “This is great news, the Army Corps spent a lot of time sorting out these beneficial use proposals and the DCA will work with the Corps and Congress on the next steps to make sure these projects move forward now that they have been authorized.”