DREDGED MATERIAL

PLANNING FOR WETLAND Sundus Samreen Wani

RESTORATION, TEXAS Y00858092

G U L F S P I L L R E S T O R AT I O N P R O J E C T S
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE
PRESENTATION?
1. Information about the project and implementing agency
2. Aim, approach, objectives, restoration focus, expected
outcomes and additional goals
3. Project phasing in Texas and where does the project fall
into
4. Why the project?
5. Project planning phasing and status
6. Budgeting
7. Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP)
 Project ID:103

Project Status: Complete

Restoration Type(s): Wetlands, Coastal and

Nearshore Habitats
GENERAL Restoration Phase: Post-Settlement

INFORMA Plan: Texas Trustee Implementation Group

TION 2017 Restoration Plan: Restoration of
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Trustee Implementation
Habitats; and Oysters Group(s): Texas

Implementing Trustee(s): National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA);
Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ); Texas General Land Office
(GLO); Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
(TPWD)
ROLE OF NOAA: Provided expertise on
marine habitats and ecological
THE monitoring to ensure restoration
outcomes align with ecosystem

TRUSTEES recovery goals.

IN Texas State Agencies (TCEQ,

GLO, TPWD): Managed permits,

IMPLEMEN site selection, and stakeholder

engagement, ensuring
compliance with local regulations
TATION and alignment with community
priorities.
AIM
• Rehabilitate wetlands in the Bessie Heights Marsh, situated in the Lower Neches
Wildlife Management Area in Orange County, Texas utilizing sediment derived
from the dredging activities of the federally overseen Sabine-Neches Waterway,
as well as from the extraction of dredged materials from designated placement
sites, private navigation channels, and berths, to revitalize coastal wetlands.

• These activities involved in the placement of dredged materials, the construction

of containment levees, and the subsequent planting efforts will facilitate the
restoration of approximately 900 acres of intertidal marsh.
 Restoration Approach: Create,
Restore, and Enhance Coastal
Wetlands
APPROAC
H AND Restoration objectives: Create
OBJECTIV Engineering and Design
specifications for eight marsh
ES restoration sites on the Texas
coast
 Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal,
and Nearshore Habitats
Includes the use of dredged materials to
rebuild and enhance critical wetland
RESTORA ecosystems.
Addresses coastal erosion, habitat loss,
TION and biodiversity decline due to
anthropogenic and natural disturbances.
FOCUS
Oyster Restoration
Associated with nearby habitats,
supporting ecosystem connectivity and
enhancing water quality.
 • Restored wetland areas provide critical
habitats for fish, birds, and other coastal
Ecological species.
• Enhanced biodiversity and improved
Benefits ecosystem resilience against climate
impacts like rising sea levels and storm
surges.

EXPECTE Coastal • Wetlands act as natural buffers, reducing

shoreline erosion and protecting coastal

D Protection infrastructure.

OUTCOM Water
Quality • Wetlands contribute to natural filtration,
removing pollutants and improving water

ES Improvem
ents
clarity.

Communit • Benefits local fisheries by supporting

species dependent on wetlands for
y and breeding and foraging.
• Enhances recreational and tourism
Economic opportunities through restored natural
Impacts landscapes.
 Integration with Other
Ecosystems:

ADDITIO
• By linking wetland restoration with
coastal and nearshore habitats, this
project supported ecosystem
NAL connectivity. For example, restored
wetlands create essential habitat

GOALS corridors for species migrating between

terrestrial and marine environments.
• The project's oyster restoration
BEYOND component enhances this connectivity
by supporting water quality and

RESTORA Resilience
ecosystemBuilding:
services.
• Designed to enhance Gulf Coast
TION resilience by mitigating risks from
hurricanes, flooding, and climate
change effects.
• Focused on sustainable restoration to
minimize maintenance needs over
time.
 Texas Restoration Plan 1- First
Restoration Plan
Texas Trustee Implementation
Group Final 2017 Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment:
Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal,
PROJECT and Nearshore Habitats; and
PHASIN Oysters
Texas Restoration Phase 2-
G Trustees’ programmatic
restoration plan
Texas Trustee Implementation
Group Final Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment
#2: Restoration of Wetlands,
Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats;
Nutrient Reduction; Oysters; Sea
 Started June 2016, project ideas from the
public, state and federal agencies, and
stakeholders were invited, more than 800
project ideas and included 13 preferred
TEXAS projects in its draft restoration plan, which
was published in May 2017
RESTORAT
ION PLAN Draft restoration plan was made available for
public review and comment, and public
1 - FIRST meetings were held in the Galveston and
Corpus Christi areas in early June 2017.
RESTORAT Comment period closed on June 19, 2017

ION PLAN Trustees re-evaluated the proposed preferred

project sites and determined that
environmental conditions did not change
sufficiently to warrant a change in the suite
of projects selected in this restoration plan
Efforts to compensate the public for the injury to natural TEXAS
TRUSTEE
resources and resource services caused by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill

IMPLEMENTA
TION GROUP
Project screening factors identified in the Oil Pollution Act
regulations;

Restoration goals and other criteria identified in the 2017

Deepwater Horizon Trustees’ Final Programmatic Damage
Assessment and Restoration Plan and Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement;
RESTORATIO
N PLAN AND
Current and future availability of funds allocated by
restoration type to Texas under the Deepwater Horizon
natural resource damage assessment settlement; and
ENVIRONME
Texas TIG preference to focus on three restoration types for
NTAL
the current round of restoration planning: 1) replenish and
protect oysters; 2) restore and conserve wetlands, coastal, ASSESSMEN
T
and nearshore habitats; and 3) restore water quality through
nutrient reduction (nonpoint source).
TEXAS TRUSTEE
IMPLEMENTATION GROUP
2017 RESTORATION PLAN
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT
HABITAT
CONSTRUCTION
RESTORATION
PROJECTS

• McFaddin Beach and Dune

Restoration
•Bessie Heights Wetland
Restoration
•Pierce Marsh Wetland
Restoration
•Indian Point Shoreline Erosion
Protection
•Bahia Grande Hydrologic
Restoration
HABITAT
ACQUISITION
RESTORATION
PROJECTS

Bahia Grande Coastal

Corridor Habitat Acquisition
Mid-Coast Habitat Acquisition
Follets Island Habitat
Acquisition
Laguna Atascosa Habitat
Acquisition
HABITAT ENGINEERING
AND DESIGN
RESTORATION
PROJECTS

Bird Island Cove Habitat

Restoration Engineering
Oyster Restoration
Engineering
Essex Bayou Habitat
Restoration Engineering
Dredged Material Planning for
Wetland Restoration
DREDGED MATERIAL PLANNING
FOR WETLAND RESTORATION
Dredged Material Planning for Wetland Restoration
project identifies priority locations

Develop up to 60% design work and prepares permit

application packages for the beneficial use of dredge
material (BUDM) for marsh restoration at eight sites
along the Texas coast.

This project coordinates efforts to prioritize sites and

produce guidelines to restore currently degrading
intertidal habitats. The
 TEXAS Started June 2016, project ideas from the public,
state and federal agencies, and stakeholders
RESTORATI were invited, more than 800 project ideas and
included 13 preferred projects in its draft
ON PLAN 2 restoration plan, which was published in May
2017
-
TRUSTEES’ Draft restoration plan was made available for
public review and comment, and public meetings
PROGRAMM were held in the Galveston and Corpus Christi
areas in early June 2017. Comment period closed
ATIC on June 19, 2017

RESTORATI Trustees re-evaluated the proposed preferred

ON PLAN project sites and determined that environmental
conditions did not change sufficiently to warrant
a change in the suite of projects selected in this
restoration plan
 FINAL United States, the five Gulf states, and BP
proposed a settlement that includes up to

RESTORA
$8.8 billion to resolve claims for natural
resource damages related to the

TION
Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Proposed settlement includes: • $7.1
PLAN billion for restoration actions over 15+
years • Up to $700 million (some of which
FOR THE is in the form of accrued interest) to
respond to natural resource conditions
GULF OF unknown at the time of the agreement
and/or to provide for adaptive
MEXICO management • $1 billion already
committed for early restoration
 Oil released into the environment by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill was toxic to a wide range of wildlife
and habitats. It caused an array of toxic effects,
including death, disease, reduced growth, and
impaired reproduction across broad geographic
regions.

WHY Specifically, we documented injuries to: intertidal

marsh habitats, including marsh plants and
associated organisms; shoreline beaches and
DREDGIN sediments and organisms that live on and in the sand
and sediment; fish and shellfish and other
G? invertebrates that live in the water; a wide range of
bird species; floating Sargassum habitats offshore and
submerged aquatic vegetation; deep-sea and
nearshore ocean-bottom habitats, including rare, deep
water corals; four species of threatened or
endangered sea turtles that live in the Gulf of Mexico;
and several species of dolphins and whales.
The spill also resulted in impacts to recreational
activities including boating, fishing, and beach-going.
 Dredged material planning for wetland
restoration in the Texas Gulf region is a

WHY
critical component of addressing
environmental impacts, in areas affected
by oil spills or other coastal disturbances
DREDGIN Wetland restoration through the strategic
G? use of dredged material can provide
multiple benefits, including habitat
recovery, shoreline stabilization, and
improved water quality
KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DREDGED
MATERIAL PLANNING IN WETLAND
RESTORATION
Assessment of Material Suitability
 Sediment Characteristics: Dredged material must be assessed for
grain size, organic content, and contaminants to ensure it is safe
and conducive for wetland restoration.
 Source and Volume: Identifying reliable and sufficient sources of
dredged material from navigation channels, ports, or reservoirs is
essential for project feasibility.
Environmental Impact
 Oil Spill Recovery: Wetland restoration projects can help mitigate
long-term ecological damage from Gulf oil spills by reestablishing
critical habitats for fish, birds, and other wildlife.
 Permitting and Compliance: Adherence to state and federal
regulations (e.g., EPA and USACE) ensures that projects do not
negatively affect water quality or protected ecosystems.
 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DREDGED
MATERIAL PLANNING IN WETLAND
RESTORATION
Design and Engineering
Restoration Techniques: Techniques like thin-layer placement,
marsh creation, and island building can enhance coastal resilience.
Hydrology and Vegetation: Proper hydrological design and native
vegetation planting are crucial for restoring wetland function.
Funding and Collaboration
Funding Sources: Projects often rely on state and federal funding,
including grants under the RESTORE Act or the Natural Resource
Damage Assessment (NRDA).
Partnerships: Collaboration with government agencies, academic
institutions, and local communities ensures successful planning and
long-term maintenance.
 DREDGED
MATERIAL Project
PLANNING FOR planning
phasing and
WETLAND status
RESTORATION
 Most of the project concept and
PROJECT regulatory authorities were
PLANNING, contacted, environmental
PHASING compliance permits were
acquired and hiring of the
AND government officials as informal
STATUS, consultants took place. This
2017- 2018 happened in two phases during
2017 and 2018.
 ENVIRONMENTAL
COMPLIANCE
Regulatory Requirement Lead Agency Status
Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Complet
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Act (USFWS) e
Coastal Barrier Resources Act Complet
Department of the Interior (DOI)
(USFWS) e
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Complet
Coastal Zone Management Act
Administration (NOAA) e
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Complet
Endangered Species Act (NMFS)
Administration (NOAA) e
Complet
Endangered Species Act (USFWS) Department of the Interior (DOI)
e
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Complet
Essential Fish Habitat (NMFS)
Administration (NOAA) e
Marine Mammal Protection Act National Oceanic and Atmospheric Complet
(NMFS) Administration (NOAA) e
Marine Mammal Protection Act
NA
(USFWS)
 PROJECT
PLANNING,
PHASING
AND
STATUS,20
19
 PROJECT
PLANNING,
PHASING
AND
STATUS,20
20
 PROJECT
PLANNING,
PHASING
AND
STATUS,20
21
 PROJECT
PLANNING,
PHASING
AND
STATUS,20
22
 PROJECT
PLANNING,
PHASING
AND
STATUS,20
23
BUDGETING/ BUDGET
SUMMARY

Funds Received and Expenses Current Through December 31, 2023

 Dredged Material Management Plan
DREDGED (DMMP) for Texas outlines strategic

MATERIAL approaches to disposing of dredged

material from bays and other coastal
MANAGEM areas in an environmentally responsible
and operationally feasible manner. The
ENT PLAN disposal methods for dredged material
from the bay focus on maximizing
(DMMP) beneficial use, minimizing environmental
impacts, and adhering to regulations
 Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) is
to develop a placement plan that will

DREDGE accommodate the 50-year placement of

dredged material associated with the BIH

D channel improvements, taking into

consideration cost and
The Gulf Intracoastal environmental
Waterway (GIWW)
MATERIA concerns.
Laguna Madre completed a Dredged Material
Management Plan (DMMP) and Final
L Environmental Impact. The DMMP is a plan for
placing dredged material in a cost-effective,
MANAGE environmentally
Some alternatives
feasible
Gulf/Oceanway.
sound, and operationally
for DMMPs include Open
placement, Confined Disposal
MENT Facilities, and Beneficial Uses/Regional
Sediment Management (RSM).
PLAN The Water Resources Development Act of 2018
(DMMP) (WRDA 2018) directs the Secretary to expedite
the DMMP process. The goal is to make the
most of existing information, studies, and
innovative dredged material management
OCEAN DREDGED MATERIAL
DISPOSAL SITES (ODMDSS)- OPEN
GULF DISPOSAL
ODMDSs are areas approved by the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE) for the
placement of dredged
In Texas, these materials.
sites are located
offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and are
designed to accommodate both
maintenance and new dredging
projects.
For example, the Brazos Island
Harbor (BIH) project utilizes two
existing ODMDSs: one for new work and
one for maintenance dredging material
from the Entrance and Jetty Channels.
CONFINED DISPOSAL
FACILITIES
CDFs are often strategically situated near navigation channels, ports,
and dredging sites to minimize transportation costs and environmental
disturbances. For instance, upland CDFs are commonly found near the
major Texas waterways, such as the Sabine-Neches Waterway, Brazos
Island Harbor, and
After placement, Corpus material
dredged Christi Ship Channel.
in CDFs is often allowed to settle
and dewater. Some materials may be repurposed later for beneficial
uses, such as construction projects, wetland restoration, or
landscaping, depending on their quality.
CDFs are designed to accommodate material placement over long-
term horizons (often 20–50 years), supporting regular maintenance
dredging and occasional large-scale projects.
 Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) project/Brownsville Ship
OPEN GULF AND Channel (BSC)
CONFINED
DISPOSAL
FACILITIES
Ten Placement Areas available for the
placement of dredged material from the
proposed BIH Project— two existing
Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Sites
(ODMDSs; separate sites for new work
and maintenance), which can be used for
the Entrance and Jetty Channels, seven
upland PAs for containment of material
from the Main Channel, and one
nearshore Feeder Berm that can be used
for beach-quality sediments from the
Entrance and Jetty Channels, and a
portion of the Main Channel. The
ODMDSs and Feeder Berm are all
dispersive and by their nature have
unlimited capacity.
MAINTENANCE OF
PLACEMENT AREAS
Maintenance dredging activities would continue to be performed as
they have been in the past in the future without-project condition
(FWOP)
Dredging of the Entrance and Jetty Channels would be performed
by hopper dredge, with higher shoaling sections dredged as
frequently as every 18 months, and other reaches dredged on the
average of 4.5 years.
The additional allowable over depth and advance maintenance
described in Section 2.1.3 of the (DMMP) would continue to be used
in channel maintenance dredging.
From the existing shoaling quantities, the total 50-year shoaling is
calculated to be 55.0 MCY of material.
BENEFICIAL USES
strategic approaches in Texas to maximize the ecological and economic value of
dredged material by repurposing it for environmentally beneficial projects
Flood Control
Wetland Beach Habitat Shoreline
and
Restoration: Nourishment: Creation: Stabilization:
Infrastructure:
• Dredged • Clean, sandy • Sediment is • Dredged • Material is used
material is used material is utilized to material is to elevate
to rebuild and deposited on create new strategically levees,
rehabilitate eroded beaches habitats, such placed along construct
coastal to rebuild dunes as bird nesting vulnerable berms, and
wetlands and protect islands, oyster shorelines to support other
degraded by coastlines from reefs, and reduce erosion flood mitigation
natural erosion, storm surges submerged and protect efforts in
storms, or and wave aquatic infrastructure. coastal and
human activity. action. vegetation • Example: riverine areas.
• Example: • Example: beds. Indian Point
Bessie McFaddin • Example: In Shoreline
Heights Beach and areas like Bahia Erosion
Marsh Dune Grande, Protection is
Restoration Restoration dredged one of the
involved Project used material has projects
placing dredged dredged supported designed to
sediment to sediment to shoreline and stabilize Texas
recreate combat severe habitat creation coastal zones.
intertidal erosion along projects to
REGIONAL SEDIMENT
MANAGEMENT (RSM)
RSM is a holistic approach that focuses on managing sediment as a resource,
considering its movement and effects across entire regions rather than individual
project sites.
Sediment as a Integrated Strategic Collaboration
Resource: Planning: Placement: and Innovation:
• Instead of • Coordination • Sediments are • RSM in Texas
treating dredged between federal, placed in areas involves
material as state, and local where natural partnerships
waste, RSM views agencies ensures processes (e.g., between the U.S.
it as a resource to that sediment tidal flows, Army Corps of
support regional management currents) can Engineers
needs like coastal aligns with redistribute them (USACE), Texas
restoration and regional goals, to maximize General Land
navigation such as reducing ecological Office (GLO),
improvements. erosion, benefit. local
improving water • Example: governments,
quality, and Nearshore and conservation
maintaining Feeder Berms groups.
navigational in the Brazos • New technologies
channels. Island Harbor and modeling
project allow tools are used to
sediment to predict sediment
EXAMPLES OF BENEFICIAL
USES & REGIONAL
SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT
(RSM)
The Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor Habitat Restoration project focused on using
dredged materials to restore the hydrology and ecosystems of the Bahia Grande area, a vital
habitat in Texas. This project reconnected the area to tidal flows, allowing water exchange to
support marine and terrestrial wildlife. The dredged material was repurposed to rebuild
critical habitats, enhancing biodiversity and mitigating erosion, while fostering a sustainable
coastal environment.
The Laguna Atascosa Habitat Acquisition and Restoration initiative utilized sediment
reuse to enhance the Laguna Madre region, a unique hypersaline ecosystem. This project
aimed to restore habitats critical for wildlife, including migratory birds and endangered
species. By acquiring and rehabilitating degraded areas with dredged materials, the project
contributed to long-term ecological resilience, bolstered habitat quality, and improved water
flow.
The Pierce Marsh Restoration project in Galveston Bay leveraged dredged sediments to
revitalize marshlands essential for coastal protection and marine biodiversity. The project
involved restoring intertidal zones, improving wetland health, and reducing shoreline
erosion. This restoration effort not only provided a haven for native species but also
contributed to water quality improvement and coastal resilience.
Thank
you