dredging great lakes - great lakes commission

The Great Lakes Dredging Team is co-chaired by a federal and a state representative.

The state chair also leads the state caucus whose membership is the Great Lakes states and the Great

Lakes Commission. The full Dredging Team meets twice per year; issue-specific work groups can

meet at other times.

For further information, please consult the Great Lakes Dredging Team web site:

www.glc.org/projects/dredging or call the Great Lakes Commission at 734-665-9135.

The Great Lakes Dredging Team is composed of representatives (and alternates) from the following:

States/Interstate Agency

State of Illinois

State of Indiana

State of Michigan

State of Minnesota

State of New York

State of Ohio

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

State of Wisconsin

Great Lakes Commission

In 1993, the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration initiatedthe Interagency Working Group on the Dredging Process to evaluate problemsand delays encountered with dredging the nation’s ports. The working group heldpublic hearings at several locations, including Chicago, to obtain input andreleased a report of its findings in December 1994. One of 18 recommendationswas that National and Regional Dredging Teams be established to “provide amechanism for timely resolution of conflicts by involving all agencies andmaximizing interagency coordination.” The Great Lakes Dredging Team wasformed in 1996 in response to that recommendation.

Great Lakes Dredging Team

Federal Agencies

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Maritime Administration

Natural Resources Conservation Service

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Dredgingand the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

Dredging Team

Great Lakes

Dredging Team

Dredging and the Great Lakes - 1

Dredging and the Great Lakes

Table of Contents

The Great Lakes - A Resource for the Future ................................................... 2The Role of Dredging in the Great Lakes ........................................... 2Great Lakes Commercial Navigation ....... 3Recreational Boating ............................... 4Sedimentation ......................................... 5Great Lakes Dredging Activities .............. 6

Dredging Equipment ....................................7Environmental Dredging .............................9Environmental Windows .............................9Disposal ..........................................................9Beneficial Use of DredgedMaterial ...........................................................1 1

A Citizen’s Role in the Dredging Process ................................................... 1 3Great Lakes Dredging Team....... Back Cover

Acknowledgements

This booklet was prepared for the Great LakesDredging Team by the Great Lakes Commission.Appreciation is extended to members of the DredgingTeam for their contributions and assistance. Thisbooklet was made possible through a grant from theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), GreatLakes National Program Office, Chicago, Illinois.Points of view expressed in this publication do notnecessarily reflect the views or policies of EPA.

Published - October 1999

Great Lakes

Dredging Team

Order a hard copy ofDredging and the Great Lakes.

Sara Ashley

http://www.glc.org/projects/dredging/dredgingForm.html

2 - www.glc.org/projects/dredging

The GreaThe GreaThe GreaThe GreaThe Great Lakes -t Lakes -t Lakes -t Lakes -t Lakes -A Resource for the FA Resource for the FA Resource for the FA Resource for the FA Resource for the Futureutureutureutureuture

For the Great Lakes region, water was not justimportant, it was the most important factor guidingsettlement and establishing the economy. The naturalwater routes and canals channeled territorial expan-sion and with it came the underpinnings for economicdevelopment including water dependent transporta-tion and industrial operations. From this watergenesis, the Great Lakes economy was created.

The magnitude and grandeur of the Great Lakes isnot easy to convey. The Great Lakes are also thefoundation of a diverse and unique basinwide ecosys-tem. Management and protection of the Great Lakesis a high priority for the federal, provincial and stategovernments in the region.

The Role ofThe Role ofThe Role ofThe Role ofThe Role ofDredging in theDredging in theDredging in theDredging in theDredging in theGreaGreaGreaGreaGreat Lakest Lakest Lakest Lakest Lakes

Dredging usually involves theperiodic removal of accumulatedbottom sediments from waterwaysto maintain adequate depth for safeand efficient vessel operations.Dredging is also done to enlarge ordeepen a navigation channel or forthe purposes of waterfront con-struction, utilities placement andenvironmental remediation. Con-cern over environmental effects ofdredging and disposal of dredgedmaterial (contaminated or other-

wise), the increasing unavailability of suitable dis-posal sites and dredging’s role in supporting water-borne commerce have combined to raise publicinterest in dredging and disposal of the material.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is authorized tomaintain 131 navigation-related projects, nearly all ofthem commercial and recreational harbors and naviga-tion channels. Many of these projects require peri-odic dredging. For other commercial and recreationalharbors, some are privately owned and maintained orstate and local jurisdictions have responsibility.

Early efforts aimed at improving U.S. harbors, suchas the construction of piers and breakwaters andlimited dredging, were often undertaken by privateand local interests with some federal involvement. Asvessel size and draft increased over time, harborsediments needed to be regularly removed and adja-

Figure 1: Satellite image of the Great Lakes basin

The five Great Lakes along with theirconnecting waters comprise the largestsystem of fresh surface water on earth,containing 5,400 cubic miles of water

and covering 94,250 square miles.

For more than 150 years, dredgingfor navigation purposes has taken

place in the Great Lakes.


cent shorelands modifiedto widenharbor areasand also toaccommodatewaterfrontdevelopment.Eventually,connectingchannelsbecame a toppriority withincrementaldepth im-provements aswell as new locksat Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan.The River andHarbor Act of 1892 authorized a minimum 20-footnavigation depth in connecting channels and gradu-ally major commercial harbors also were dredged.Vessel drafts and navigation depth continued toincrease and in 1956, legislation coincident withplanning and construction of the St. LawrenceSeaway, set the stage for current vessel drafts. U.S.regulations for maintaining Great Lakes navigation

Figure 2: Hydraulic pipeline dredge

channels provide for vessel drafts of 25.5 feet belowlow water datum. Commercial navigation draftsusually range between 26 and 28 feet depending onwater levels and route. The Seaway has recentlyincreased permissible vessel draft to 26 feet, 3 inches.

GreaGreaGreaGreaGreat Lakes Commercialt Lakes Commercialt Lakes Commercialt Lakes Commercialt Lakes CommercialNaNaNaNaNavigvigvigvigvigaaaaationtiontiontiontion

The Great Lakes and their outlet to the AtlanticOcean, the St. Lawrence River, are major compo-nents of a vast intermodal transportation systemlinking the heartland of North America with portsand markets throughout the world. The completionof the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 allows vesselsup to 740 feet in length, 78 feet wide to travel 2,300miles/3,700 kilometers from the Gulf of St.

Lawrence to the lakehead ports ofDuluth-Superior and Thunder Bayon Lake Superior. This transpor-tation system, unlike any other inthe world, includes three segmentswhere a total of 16 navigationlocks raise vessels 600 feet fromsea level. Waterborne commercethroughout the system includesoverseas vessel operations(salties) and U.S. and Canadian

Figure 3: A 1,000-foot lake freighter passing

through the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Credit: Albert G. Ballert


shipping using lake freighters(lakers). Dredging to provideadequate depth for safe andefficient vessel passage has adirect effect on the bottomline of commercial operationsand potential ripple effects onlocal communities and regionaleconomies. Even slightdecreases in available depthsignificantly reduces a vessel’scarrying capacity. For example,the workhorse vessel of the Great Lakes fleet, the1,000-footer, loses 270 tons of cargo for each inchreduction in draft. For a vessel sized to fit the St.Lawrence Seaway, the loss of an inch of draft trans-lates into a 100-ton cargo reduction.

Commercial navigation on the Great Lakes hassteadily improved through larger, more maneuverableand efficient vessels, better crew training and modernport facilities. The principal cargoes moved on theGreat Lakes are bulk commodities – iron ore/taco-nite, coal, grain, limestone, salt and petroleum prod-ucts. Great Lakes shipping handles an average of 180million tons annually in domestic, cross-lake andoverseas trade. Much of this commodity movementis connected to raw material supply for steel mills andcoal-fired power plants. These facilities and com-modities help support a diversified regional economywith a strong manufacturing base. The relatively low-cost water transport option helps maintain competi-tive alternatives for shippers and compares favorablywith other transportation modes with less fuel use,pollutant emissions and more safety with feweraccidents.

RecreaRecreaRecreaRecreaRecreational Boational Boational Boational Boational Boatingtingtingtingting

Recreational boating is a growing activity in theGreat Lakes region. According to the NationalMarine Manufacturer’s Association, there are morethan 4 million recreational boats in the Great Lakesstates. This number represents an increase of morethan 700,000 boats in the past decade. All but one ofthe Great Lakes states are among the top 11 nation-ally in numbers; Michigan is number one. Surveysindicate that nearly a third of Michigan’s “boat days”are tied to the Great Lakes, even though less than afifth of the boats are dedicated to exclusive GreatLakes use.

Recreational boating is also a major industry in theregion represented by boat manufacturers and retail-ers, marina operators and marine business suppliers.

Figure 5: Recreational boating on the Great Lakes

The largest Great Lakes vesselscan carry nearly 70,000 tons of bulkcargo or the equivalant of 700 rail

hopper cars.


Boating also has a direct connection to sport fishingand the several billion dollars of regional economicimpact it accounts for. Retail boat/trailer, outboardmotor and marine accessories sales for the GreatLakes states amount to $2-3 billion annually depend-ing on the state of the economy. Marina developmentand related facilities on the Great Lakes have beenincreasing, keeping pace with moderate growth inboat usage and accelerating interest in residentialshore developments. The amenities of the coastalzone are attracting more seasonal home development.Some of these new properties have slips or boathouses/garages integrated with the property.

SedimentSedimentSedimentSedimentSedimentaaaaationtiontiontiontion

Much of Great Lakes dredging is undertaken inresponse to sedimentation processes in tributaryrivers and streams. In addition to agriculturalpractices, construction activity and the relativeimperviousness of developed land contribute tosediment loads and transport dynamics. Alsolittoral drift, a natural process of sand and sedi-ment movement along the shore, contributes tosome sedimentation in navigation channels exposedto or near the open lake. Siltation levels are highfor many Great Lakes harbors, particularly thosethat contain river flows and areas where the basinhas substantial agricultural activity. A good ex-ample of the sediment-dredging connection is thelargest tributary of Lake Erie, the Maumee River.About a million U.S. and Canadian

recreational boats are on theGreat Lakes at some pointduring the boating season.


With its 6,600 square mile--predominately agricul-tural watershed, the transport of huge quantities ofsilt and clay sediment cause shoaling (sedimentbuildup) in parts of the river. It is estimated thatthe mean annual sediment load for the MaumeeRiver is more than 1.1 million tons, representingabout 10 percent of annual gross erosion in theMaumee watershed. In addition to the physicalmovement of sediment, sediment-produced turbid-ity reduces light penetration, which affects aquaticplant growth. Agricultural runoff is also a primarysource of phosphorus loading for streams andrivers and especially for lakes.

As a result of all this flowing soil, Toledo Harbor atthe mouth of the Maumee, has large dredging needs.The high volume of sediment, if allowed to build up,would in the short term substantially affect commercialvessel drafts and in the long run threaten the port’sexistence. The port handles an average of 15 milliontons of cargo a year, including coal, iron ore, grain andvarious general cargoes, and its activities generate morethan $500 million in economic activity annually withmore than 500 dependent jobs. In 1995 the Corps ofEngineers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’sNatural Resources Conservation Service entered into apartnership for a two-year demonstration project toaddress the Toledo dredging issue. This was the firsttime in the Great Lakes that Corps dredging funds weredirected to upland soil conservation measures.

The Toledo Harbor Project entailed a program ofgrants to 22 basin counties for sediment projects thataddressed vegetative cover, conservation tillage,structural controls such as sod-lined waterways and

numerous information and education activities. Theresults of the demonstration program are encouraging.The goal for the agricultural component was a130,000 cubic yard reduction in sediment at ToledoHarbor and half of this target has been achieved.Farmers in the Maumee basin have been increasingtheir use of conservation tillage practices (cropresidue kept on cropland surfaces) from near 30percent in 1991 to a 60 percent rate in the late 1990s.

GreaGreaGreaGreaGreat Lakes Dredgingt Lakes Dredgingt Lakes Dredgingt Lakes Dredgingt Lakes DredgingActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivities

The Corps of Engineers annually spends approxi-mately $20 million for maintenance dredging atfederally authorized Great Lakes harbors and chan-nels. On average, about 4 million cubic yards ofsediments are dredged from 35 federal navigationprojects each year. In recent years private dredgingcontractors have done all the dredging work. Theseprojects have been authorized by Congress withspecific project limits for widths, lengths and depths.Congress authorized the Corps to maintain theseprojects for safe navigation use, but this does notnecessarily require that all parts of the harbor orchannels be maintained at authorized dimensions.Some Great Lakes harbors that were authorized in the19th century no longer have vessel use requiringcommercial navigation depths, and therefore they arenot maintained at originally authorized depths.

Dredging needs are typically determined by Corps ofEngineers district offices through ongoing communica-tion with commercial and recreational navigation usersand local or state agencies responsible for harbor or portfacilities. The district offices at Buffalo, New York;Detroit, Michigan; and Chicago, Illinois, collect depthdata for many harbors and channels on an annual basis,and long-term trends for shoaling are determined fromthis data, previous dredging records and informationsupplied by harbor users.

Funds for maintenance dredging and dredgedmaterial management at federal navigation projectsare part of the Corps of Engineers annual Operations

In recent years, the Corps of Engineers hasmoved an annual average of 800,000 cubic

yards of sediment in the Maumee River at thePort of Toledo and

about 200,000 cubic yards in the outer harbor in Lake Erie making it

the largest regulardredging project on the Great Lakes.


and Maintenance budget. This budget is initiallyprepared at the project level by the district andcontains numerous items of required work such assurveys, sampling and testing, environmental compli-ance, design plans and specifications, dredging con-tracts, etc. It generally takes about 12-14 monthsfrom the initial stages of budget development towhen the president releases his budget to Congress.When combined with the Congressional appropria-tions process, it can take 20-22 months for a dredgingproject’s funding process to run its course. It isrecognized that work required at a project can changefrom the time it is scheduled to when funds areactually received. Unforseen emergencies, equipmentfailure or unanticipated changed conditions occurfrom time to time. Congress recognizes the need forflexibility and has given the Corps of Engineerslimited budget reprogramming authority to accountfor these situations.

The Federal Standard, established by regulation in1988 (33 CFR 209, 335-338 ), is a benchmark fordetermining the level of federal funding that will beallocated for the disposal of dredged material fromthe maintenance of authorized federal channels. TheFederal Standard is defined as the least costly disposalalternative which is engineeringly sound and satisfiesapplicable federal environmental regulations. In1993, the Corps of Engineers initiated a program forthe development of long-term plans for managingchannel maintenance projects. Districts were directedto establish a Dredged Material Management Plan(DMMP) process for all deep-draft navigationprojects. Through a preliminary assessment, aneconomic analysis of the federal interest in maintain-ing the navigation project is undertaken. Also evalu-ated is whether the project’s dredged material man-agement option(s), consistent with the Federal Stan-dard, are available for the next 20 years. For thoseprojects where such managmeent options are notavailable, a detailed DMMP is to be prepared whichevaluates management options, addresses environ-mental compliance and defines federal and non-federal cost sharing responsibilities.

Dredging EquipmentDredging EquipmentDredging EquipmentDredging EquipmentDredging Equipment

Mechanical and hydraulic types of dredges areused on the Great Lakes. Mechanical dredges employa crane and bucket and are effective with hard-packedmaterials or debris. Once the material is removedfrom the bottom, it is placed in a barge and thentransported to a disposal site.

The two types of hydraulic dredges that operateon the Great Lakes are the cutterhead pipeline dredgeand the self-propelled hopper dredge. Dredges thatuse pipelines have powerful engines that suctionsediments and pump the slurry directly to disposalsites. They are capable of operating continuously andare very efficient on a quantity-moved-over-timebasis. The hopper dredges have on-board storagecapacity along with the ability to bottom-releasematerial directly. This kind of dredge is used lessoften than the pipeline dredge.

Figure 7: Mechanical dredging using a crane and barge


Figure 8: “Clamshell” type bucket

Figure 11: Self-propelled hopper dredge

Figure 10: The cutterhead of a hydraulic dredge

Figure 9: Hydraulic dredging with a pipline.


EnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmental Dredgingal Dredgingal Dredgingal Dredgingal Dredging

To address the ecological and human health risksthat contaminants in sediments pose, the U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) published itsContaminated Sediment Management Strategy. The Strat-egy is a U.S. EPA work plan describing actions theAgency believes are needed to bring about consider-ation and reduction of risks posed by contaminatedsediments. The remediation section of the Strategydiscusses several federal laws which U.S. EPA mayuse to require contaminated sediment remediation byparties responsible for the pollution. These lawsinclude the Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation, and Liability Act (known asSuperfund), the Resource Conservation and RecoveryAct, the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Toxic Sub-stances Control Act, and the Oil Pollution Act.Sediment remediation is accomplished throughenvironmental dredging or other management optionssuch as inplace capping. States may also requireenvironmental dredging for various purposes.

Environmental dredging is also done to improveenvironmental conditions where contaminated sedi-ments threaten ecological functions and/or impairpeople’s use and enjoyment of associated naturalresources. Provisions under several federal WaterResources Development acts authorize the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers to work with U.S. EPA, the GreatLakes states and local governments to clean up contami-nated sediments in certain areas around the Great Lakes.These include areas near federal navigation channels andGreat Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). The AOCs aredegraded geographic areas within the Great Lakes basinas defined by the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water

Quality Agreement. In addition, provisions underSuperfund and the CWA authorize U.S. EPA to workwith agencies that represent federal, state and tribalnatural resource trustees (e.g., U.S. Fish and WildlifeService in the Department of Interior and NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Depart-ment of Commerce) to address the restoration of naturalresources (fish, wildlife, habitat, sediments and water-ways) that have been impacted by contamination. Incertain situations restoration can be accomplishedthrough dredging.

EnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmentEnvironmental Wal Wal Wal Wal Windowsindowsindowsindowsindows

Environmental windows are time constraintsplaced on dredging or dredged material operations toprotect biological resources or their habitats fromdetrimental effects. Such windows can include,among other factors, effects of resuspended sedi-ments on fish and shellfish resources, sedimentationeffects on sensitive resources and habitat, entrain-ment of aquatic organisms by hydraulic dredges anddisruption during bird nesting times. The technicalissues underlying requests for and compliance withwindows are complex, as are the implications ofwindows for conduct of dredging in a cost effectivemanner. Windows complicate dredging contracts inmany ways that can increase costs on a per cubic yardbasis. Achieving a balance between adequate re-source protection and cost effective dredging opera-tions is a continuing challenge.

DisposalDisposalDisposalDisposalDisposal

Where to place dredged material is a question insearch of answers. The selection of disposal sites is alengthy process involving land use, environmental andnatural resource concerns. The appropriate disposal ofmaterial dredged from navigation projects is a nation-wide issue but has important implications for the use,management and protection of waters in the GreatLakes basin. The disposal of dredged material whetheron land or in water is subject to environmental reviewand regulation. Confinement of contaminated dredged

In the Great Lakes basin, environmentaldredging is done to ensue protection of humanhealth, welfare and the environment and to

improve environmental conditions of the GreatLakes and their tributaries.


material determined to pose an unacceptable risk to theenvironment is a federal policy and is recognized asnecessary by state and local governments.

Under current dredged material evaluation proce-dures, about half of the material removed each year isconsidered polluted or otherwise not suitable for openwater disposal and placed in confined disposal

facilities(CDFs). Since the 1960s, the Corps hasconstructed 40 CDFs around the Great Lakes. ManyCDFs were built at full federal expense but since1996, a non-federal cost share is required. Of thetotal number of U.S. Great Lakes CDFs, 14 wereconstructed on land and 26 were built as in-waterfacilities with many at near shore locations. TheCDFs built in the water average 112 acres in size,

whereas the upland sites are considerably smaller,averaging 35 acres. The size and design of a CDF issite-specific, depending on the location, the type of

sediment and nature of contaminants, potentialamount of material and how the facility will be usedor function once it is full or no longer receivingdredged material. Dikes for in-water CDFs areusually constructed in layers with heavy, protectivestone on the outside and progressively smaller stonesto sand on the inside. Some CDFs incorporate linersor steel sheet pile in the dike walls. As dredged

material is pumped or placed in aCDF, the sediments fall to the bottomand the accompanying water evapo-rates or percolates through the wallsor into the ground. When permeabil-ity is reduced over time because ofsediment sealing, a variety of water-release mechanisms, including over-flow weirs and filter cells are used.

Great Lakes ecosystem healthdepends, among other things, on theelimination of contaminants or,where necessary, a high level ofisolation of contaminants. CDFs arebuilt to keep the material from con-taminating the surrounding environ-

ment. Contaminants often bind with fine sedimentssuch as silt and clay. If this form of pollution isconfined to the CDF and fish, wildlife and habitat arenot impacted by the contaminated sediments in theCDF, then CDFs are presumed to be effective. Long-term use of CDFs is the principal means of resolvingthe overall problem of disposal of contaminatedsediments derived from dredging for navigationpurposes. But other strategies exist. Remediation orcleanup of polluted material from a CDF or elsewhereis technologically feasible through various means, butis relatively expensive compared with placement andstorage in a CDF. Sediment reduction at the sourceoffers much promise as a means to both reducepolluted sediment transport and, where possible,lessen navigation-related dredging requirements.

The amount of dredged material placed in Great Lakes confined disposalfacilities averages around 2 million cubic yards per year and would fill 400,000 standard dump trucks.

Figure 12: Saginaw Bay Confined Disposal Facility


Beneficial Use ofBeneficial Use ofBeneficial Use ofBeneficial Use ofBeneficial Use ofDredged MaDredged MaDredged MaDredged MaDredged Materialterialterialterialterial

In the past there was extensive useof dredged and excavated material forthe purpose of waterfront land expan-sion to accommodate developingshoreside industry and urban areas.Such “beneficial uses” of dredgedmaterial are now much reduced forvarious reasons. The fact that existingconfined disposal facilities have beenfilling up coupled with public andgovernmental scrutiny of open waterdisposal has created interest in othermanagement options. Productive usesof dredged material include beach/nearshore nourishment, habitat restoration, landscap-ing, amendments to agricultural soils, road construc-tion fill, strip mine restoration, temporary cover forlandfills and many others.

Beneficial use has potential for providing alow-cost solution for the management ofdredged material that is environmentallyresponsible and publicly acceptable. Withproper testing and governmental guidelinesfor dredged material use, the business com-munity will be able to create new uses andexpand its involvement in this part of thedredging process.

The Pointe Mouille Confined DisposalFacility is a 700-acre diked area in LakeErie designed to contain contaminateddredged material from the Detroit and

Rouge rivers. Its beneficial use is linked to its rolein providing and protecting different kinds ofwildlife habitat. Pointe Mouille is near the mouthof the Huron River, an area with extensive wet-lands. Dams on the river have reduced sedimentflow and as a consequence, a natural barrier islandthat protected back barrier marshes was destroyedby wind and wave action. The CDF with its longcrescent shape was designed to protect the fragilewetlands as a substitute for the barrier island. TheCDF with its internal diking system along with thenearby Pointe Mouille State Game Area is managedas productive waterfowl habitat.

Beneficial use is the general termthat describes alternatives for

managing dredged material byfocusing on its value as a resource

and not as a waste.

Figure 13: Pointe Mouille Confined Disposal Facility in Michigan

Figure14: Beach nourishment at Grand Haven, Michigan


Beach/littoral nourishment in-volves the placement of dredgedmaterial directly onto a beach or intothe shallow water. Beach nourish-ment is typically discharged by pipe-line from a hydraulic dredge. Suitabledredged material is typically a finesand, and may only stay on the beachfor a limited time before being erodedinto the littoral drift. Littoral nourish-ment involves a discharge to near-shore shallow areas and is typicallydone with bottom dump scows whena mechanical dredge is used. Beachand littoral nourishment are used forapproximately 10 to 15 percent ofGreat Lakes dredged material.

At the Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility inDuluth Harbor, the Corps of Engineers has used theprocess of “soil washing” to separate sedimentparticles by size and make some of the materialavailable for use. Contaminants often associate withparticular sediment types – usually finer grain sizes.In a sloping part of the CDF, water is pumped overthe dredged material allowing the coarser or cleanermaterial to settle out. This material is then excavatedand used as construction fill. An average of 20 to 25

percent of the dredged material placed in Erie Piereach year is removed, thereby expanding capacity andextending the CDF’s useful life.

The 1987-1988 construction of the 72-acreNorth Point Marina on the Illinois shore of LakeMichigan required the hydraulic dredging of ap-proximately 1.5 million cubic yards of gravellysand. This sediment was dispersed to thedowndrift (south) side of the marina basin to forma feeder beach for downdrift nourishment. As of1999, most of the available sand and gravel hasbeen eroded from this initial nourishment area.

Downdrift beaches are still benefittingas the stream of nourishment sedi-ment continues in southward transitalong the shore.

Figure 16: Dredged material from an Illinois marina construction project is being used for

long-term beach nourishment. Credit: Illinois State Geological Survey

Figure 15: Construction fill being loaded at the Erie Pier Confined

Disposal Facility in Duluth, Minnesota


A Citizen’s Role in theA Citizen’s Role in theA Citizen’s Role in theA Citizen’s Role in theA Citizen’s Role in theDredging PDredging PDredging PDredging PDredging Procesrocesrocesrocesrocessssss

Dredging and management of dredged materialinvolves a substantial amount of planning and acommitment of adequate funding. Public involve-ment in and support for the dredging decision processis therefore very important. An active and informedpublic helps ensure that local expertise and knowl-edge is made available in the process. This alsopromotes sound regulatory and financial decisionsregarding dredging and the management of dredgedmaterial. People who want to be involved in thepublic policy process need to inform themselvesabout the issues and pursue opportunities to conveytheir views and concerns. With respect to GreatLakes dredging, experience has shown that individualsor groups with a local presence and stake in an issuecan provide a very effective means to advise govern-ment officials and influence policy.

Much of the information about dredging is con-tained in scientific literature and is not readily avail-able to the general public. Public opinions andimpressions of dredging and dredged material man-agement are too often based on misunderstanding andmisinformation. Efforts to educate and inform thepublic about dredging issues have been few andgenerally focused at a limited audience. Governmentagencies with dredging decision responsibility as wellas the private sector involved in dredging activitiescan be responsive to citizen information needs. TheGreat Lakes Dredging Team and the National Dredg-ing Team have established public outreach andeducation goals to advance these objectives.

Information is often thecritical link in how

effective citizen participation andinfluence

can be in the dredging process.

The Great Lakes Dredging Team is co-chaired by a federal and a state representative.

The state chair also leads the state caucus whose membership is the Great Lakes states and the Great

Lakes Commission. The full Dredging Team meets twice per year; issue-specific work groups can

meet at other times.

For further information, please consult the Great Lakes Dredging Team web site:

www.glc.org/projects/dredging or call the Great Lakes Commission at 734-665-9135.

The Great Lakes Dredging Team is composed of representatives (and alternates) from the following:

States/Interstate Agency

State of Illinois

State of Indiana

State of Michigan

State of Minnesota

State of New York

State of Ohio

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

State of Wisconsin

Great Lakes Commission

In 1993, the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration initiatedthe Interagency Working Group on the Dredging Process to evaluate problemsand delays encountered with dredging the nation’s ports. The working group heldpublic hearings at several locations, including Chicago, to obtain input andreleased a report of its findings in December 1994. One of 18 recommendationswas that National and Regional Dredging Teams be established to “provide amechanism for timely resolution of conflicts by involving all agencies andmaximizing interagency coordination.” The Great Lakes Dredging Team wasformed in 1996 in response to that recommendation.

Great Lakes Dredging Team

Federal Agencies

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Maritime Administration

Natural Resources Conservation Service

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Dredgingand the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

Dredging Team

Great Lakes

Dredging Team

http://www.glc.org/projects/dredging

dredging great lakes - great lakes commission

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