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Water: Dredged Material Management

Beneficial Use of Dredged Material

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      2003 Action Agenda
      Beneficial Use of Dredged Material
      Dredged Material Management
      Essential Fish Habitat
        Federal Standard
        Local Planning Groups
        Managing Sediments in the Watershed
        Member Agencies
          National Dredging Policy
          Regional Dredging Teams
          Regional Sediment Management
          Total Maximum Daily Loads

Overview: An important goal of managing dredged material is to ensure that the material is used or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.  Much of the large quantities of material dredged each year is suitable for beneficial use.  Beneficial use of dredged material can support environmental goals, such as habitat restoration and pollution prevention.

Background: Much of the several hundred million cubic meters of sediment dredged each year from U.S. ports, harbors, and waterways is disposed of in open water, confined disposal facilities, and upland disposal facilities.  Most of this dredged material could be used in a beneficial manner instead, such as for nourishment of beaches with clean sand or development of wetland habitats. The National Dredging Team recognizes dredged material as a valuable resource that can be used in environmentally beneficial ways.

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