ABSTRACT
The US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) maintains navigable waterways of the US by dredging large volumes of sediment each year. Dredging and dredged-spoil disposal may exert severe stresses on biotic communities. The most acute biotic impact of dredging is the physical removal of bottom-dwelling organisms from their natural habitat and subsequent translocation to spoil disposal sites. There are two categories of dredges: mechanical devices and hydraulic devices. The most direct effect of dredging is the destruction of the benthic habitat. Sediments are removed from the sea floor, and some particle resuspension occurs due to the action of the dredge. Benthic communities in Chesapeake Bay appear to be minimally impacted by high suspended sediment loads in the near-field zone at dredging sites. A wide range of physical, chemical, and biological impacts may arise from dredged-spoil disposal. Dredged-material disposal has been used most effectively in recent years for the creation, protection, and restoration of habitats.
