Module 1: Introduction to Dredging and Turbidity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”881″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Dredging is most often done to clean up bodies of water with environmental damage per the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Because the goal of project is most often to clean up bodies of water, the obvious risk that comes along with dredging is that too much contaminated sediment will get mixed into the water. For this reason, Turbidity Monitoring is typically a requirement at dredge sites.

Turbidity basically is the cloudiness in a liquid which is caused by suspended solids and particles.

Monitoring regulations typically require that Total Suspended Sediment (TSS) levels remain below a predetermined threshold level per the project requirements.

Dredging is the largest item in the USACE’s budget each year because most U.S. ports that handle foreign commerce require regular dredging. Because of the increasing size of container ships, and the growth in petroleum shipping, dredging will remain necessary to facilitate navigation at American ports, harbors, and waterways.

Dredging can provide excellent environmental results without harming water quality. Dredging is an economically feasible solution for the removal and subsequent treatment of contaminated sediment. The aim of most dredging projects is to remove sediment as efficiently as possible, while diminishing short-term environmental impacts, such as the re-suspension of potentially contaminated sediments.

The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) guidelines recommend a monitoring plan for implementation prior to initiation of any dredging project[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]