2/11/2024 0 Comments What is dredge spoil![]() ![]() Her goal was to determine how the thickness of disposed sediment affected the patterns and rates of recovery within the bottom-dwelling, or "benthic," community. Schaffner compared the number and kinds of species and individuals in the dredge disposal area with nearby sites that were spoils-free. The Army Corps of Engineers designates the site for disposal of non-toxic materials dredged from the navigation channels that lead deep-draft vessels toward the Port of Baltimore and other ports in upper Chesapeake Bay. Schaffner conducted the two-year study in the Wolf Trap Alternate Open Water Disposal Site, which occupies about 3 square miles in the lower Bay between Mathews County and the Eastern Shore. The worms, clams, and other invertebrates that live on and in the seafloor play a key role in supporting the Bay food web, providing meals for striped bass, blue crabs, and other commercially and recreationally important species. The study, published in the on-line edition of Estuaries and Coasts, shows that bottom-dwelling sea life is little affected when buried by fewer than 6 inches of dredge spoils, and that communities buried beneath thicker layers typically re-establish themselves within 18 months through re-colonization from nearby, unaffected areas. ![]() ![]() A new study by VIMS professor Linda Schaffner provides data that can help future in-water disposal of dredge spoils proceed with minimal environmental impact. Dredging of navigational channels in Chesapeake Bay is crucial to maintaining Virginia's role as a leading gateway for international shipping, particularly with the advent of deeper-draft container vessels. ![]()
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