Authors: Jacob F. Berkowitz, Nathan R. Beane, Nia R. Hurst, Jacob F. Jung, and Kevin D. Philley
Dredged sediment has been used to create and restore wetlands and other landforms for decades as part of beneficial use initiatives. Previous studies demonstrate that beneficial use projects yield ecological functions such as habitat maintenance, floodwater detention, and biogeochemical cycling. However, questions persist about the long term ecological trajectory of beneficial use projects due to 1) short monitoring timeframes and 2) the paucity of beneficial use sites that have reached maturity since most beneficial use projects were recently constructed.
Part 1 of this series, Ecological Outcomes, looks at 40 years of ecological functions for dredged sediment beneficial use projects. Part 2, Ecosystem Functions, Goods, and Services, links the findings with an established ecosystem goods and services framework to holistically evaluate long term outcomes.
Read more about Documentation of EWN Successes: Filling the Beneficial Use Gap.
