Workshops introduce new tool for encouraging beneficial sediment reuse

SCCWRP co-hosted a series of three workshops in October and November to introduce environmental managers to an app that helps agencies that routinely produce sediment from dredging and other activities to facilitate the sediment’s reuse in coastal resiliency projects.

The web-based tool, known as SediMatch, was developed by the San Francisco Estuary Institute to convert what has historically been an underutilized and discarded resource into a strategic asset, available for use for beach nourishment, dune restoration and other coastal resiliency projects.

During the workshops, which were held in Southern California, participants uploaded information on 45 projects to the SediMatch database; the 45 entries include both projects that will generate sediment, and projects that have a need for sediment. These 45 entries alone resulted in one compatible match.

Dredging is a routine management practice intended to keep navigation channels clear and protect sensitive habitats from becoming buried by excess sediment. If clean sediment is not reused, it is commonly disposed of in the ocean.