ADVANCING SEDIMENT SOLUTIONS IN THE SEVEN MILE ISLAND INNOVATION LABORATORY

Abstract

In 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District partnered with the State of New Jersey, The Wetlands Institute, and the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center to launch the Seven Mile Island Innovation Laboratory (SMIIL). The initiative is designed to advance and improve dredging and marsh restoration techniques in coastal New Jersey through innovative research, collaboration, knowledge sharing and practical application. SMIIL efforts are enhancing the science and engineering that supports dredging and beneficial use placement practices by clearing shoals from the federal New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway for navigation and innovatively placing that sediment on multiple sites described herein. Regional Sediment Management and Engineering with Nature principles and practices serve as a strong foundation for SMIIL actions. Efforts are successfully evolving the practice and advancing techniques for beneficial use of dredged channel sediments with innovative placements that support coastal resilience for habitats and communities.