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Economic assessment of dredging operations in Mobile Bay, USA and some additional notes on sustainable management of dredged material

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Abstract

This paper describes a study that was performed to determine the cost-effective method of dredging in Mobile Bay in the United States and to explore the possibility of utilizing the dredged materials in an environmentally sustainable way. An analysis of the historical cost and working time data for hopper dredging and pipeline dredging for Mobile Bay showed that there was not a substantial difference in unit costs between the two methods. However, while the disposal methods for dredged materials were taken into consideration, the pipeline dredging seemed to be a more desirable and environmentally friendly option for dredging in Mobile Bay. In addition to cost analysis, the paper discusses several possible ways of sustainable management of dredged materials. The paper also indicates that if the sediment in Mobile Bay is found to be contaminated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the pipeline dredging will become a more desirable dredging alternative.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Mobile District USACE and the Mobile Office of the NOAA National Weather Service for their cooperation. Carl Dyess, Mobile District’s Chief of Navigation and Herbert Bullock from the Irvington Site Office, were great technical resources for this study and their assistance is greatly appreciated. Keith Williams and Katherine Sanders of NOAA’s Mobile Office also contributed to the success of this project through the provision of charts, graphs, maps and Mobile Bay historical information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of South Alabama, 150 Jaguar Drive, Shelby Hall, Suite 3142, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA

    Samantha Islam & Jacqueline Parks

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  1. Samantha Islam
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  2. Jacqueline Parks
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Correspondence to Samantha Islam.

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Islam, S., Parks, J. Economic assessment of dredging operations in Mobile Bay, USA and some additional notes on sustainable management of dredged material. J Coast Conserv 18, 157–165 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-013-0301-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-013-0301-0

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