Geotechnical Design of Coastal Wetlands

Coastal wetlands are essential geographic features that provide carbon storage, habitat, recreational space, and storm surge protection for coastal populations. Despite their importance, coastal marshes face extreme deterioration due to sea-level rise, subsidence, natural erosion, and human impacts. Direct placement of dredged material can bolster these wetlands by artificially raising elevations to combat increased inundation and reconnect marsh surfaces. In the U.S., material dredged from the nation’s waterways and ports is a critical source of sediment. Specifically, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains more than 400 major ports and 40,000 km of federal waterways, generating more than 190 million m3/yr of dredged material. The USACE has the goal to beneficially use 70 percent of this, which is more than 130 million m3 of sediment annually.