What are dredged materials and why are they being used?
Dredged materials are sediments at the bottom of harbors and other waterways that are suctioned up by large machinery. Several hundred million cubic yards of sediment must be dredged from different U.S. ports, harbors and waterways each year in order to maintain and improve the nation’s navigation system for commercial, national defense and recreational purposes. In a typical year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must dredge about seven million cubic yards of sediment to maintain safe navigation in and around the San Francisco Bay. In order to effectively manage these large amounts of dredged sediment, the San Francisco Bay Long Term Management Strategy for Dredging was established as the “Regional Dredging Team” for the San Francisco area. The LTMS ensures that the dredged materials are being used in mutually beneficial situations, according to the national dredging policy set forth by the federal government. Historically speaking, dredged materials have been used to both restore exi
