Beneficial Use of Dredged Material at South Padre Island, Texas:

an Economic, Environmental, and Partnership Success Story

2014 Conference on Ecological and

Ecosystem Restoration July 29, 2013

Ray Newby, P.G. Texas General Land Office

Coastal Resources

Jerry Patterson Land Commissioner

South Padre Island (SPI) Beach Nourishment with the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM)

Project Location

Google Earth Image

SPI Beach Nourishment with BUDM, Project Partners:

• City of SPI;

• Cameron County;

• Texas GLO;

• USACE Galveston District;

• HDR Engineering;

• Dredging Contractors.

Overview of SPI Beach Nourishment with BUDM

SPI Beach Nourishment with BUDM, Project Details:

• Sand Dredged by USACE from Brazos Santiago Pass - Brownsville Ship Channel;

• Dredged Material Placement Area #1, Isla Blanca County Park Beach;

• Dredged Material Placement Area #5, Northern Portion of the City of SPI Beach;

• USACE Covers Base Plan Dredging Costs;

• GLO and the City of SPI Share Incremental Costs 75% / 25%;

DMPA #5

DMPA #1

Offshore BU Berm

Ship Channel

DMPA #1 Isla Blanca Park

DMPA #5 City of SPI

SPI Beach Nourishment with BUDM Project Details cont.:

• Cameron County Assists with Survey Costs;

• Annual Monitoring Surveys Conducted by HDR Engineering;

• Beach Placement Window Between October 1 to March 15 to Avoid Sea Turtle Nesting Season;

• Also Try to Avoid Snow Bird Season.

SPI Beach Nourishment with BUDM, Project History:

• 12 Separate BUDM Beach Placement Events Since 1997;

• 6 Offshore Berm Placement Events;

• GLO Coastal Erosion Program Involved Since 2000;

• USACE-GLO BUDM MOA Signed in 2001;

• Mainly Used Cutterhead Suction Dredges;

• Hopper Dredge Pump-out Used First Time in 2012.

Dredge Pipeline Installation

Dredge Pipeline Installation

Dredge Pipeline Installation

Hopper Dredge

USACE photo

Economics of SPI BUDM:

• Funding Sources: GLO CEPRA, City of SPI, Cameron County, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Coastal Impact Assistance Program;

• Cost of Sand ~ $3 to $5/cubic yard;

• Taylor Engineering Inc. Economic Analysis Benefit / Cost Results: Isla Blanca Park 40 / 1, City of SPI 9 / 1.

USACE-GLO BUDM Memorandum of Agreement:

• Executed in 2001;

• Covers all USACE Galveston District Maintenance Dredging Projects;

• Streamlined Contracting Process;

• Established 2-Page Support Agreement;

• Avoided Objectionable Language in Standard USACE Agreements.

Related Information:

• 2007 Offshore Investigation Found Approximately 2 Million cy Sand Source;

• City of SPI Obtained USACE Permit for Large-Scale Beach Nourishment;

• Preparing for 2014-2015 BUDM Event;

• Continue to Work with USACE to Improve SPI BUDM Project.

South Padre Island BUDM

Before

After South Padre Island BUDM

For More Information:

• Web: www.glo.texas.gov

• ray.newby@glo.texas.gov

• (512) 475 - 3624

USACE photo

The Mississippi Beneficial Use Program (MSBU)

“Building Momentum for Restoration”

Conference on Ecological and Ecosystem Restoration 2014 New Orleans, Louisiana

George Ramseur, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team

The “MS BUG” • Co-Lead Agencies: USACE; Mobile District; Point of Contact: Mike Malsom MDMR; Point of Contact: George Ramseur • • Steering Committee: Mike Beiser (MDEQ), John Bowie (EPA), Margaret Bretz (SOS), Jenny Jacobsen, Nate Lovelace (USACE), Paul

Necaise (USFWS), Ryan Hendren, Mark Thompson (NOAA/NMFS). • • Agencies & Government:

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources • Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission • Mississippi Congressman Palazzo’s Office • Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Office of Pollution Control • Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, Museum of Natural Science • Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office • Mississippi State University/ Grand Bay NERR • USM/ Gulf coast Research Laboratory • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) • - Habitat Conservation Division,

- Protected Resources Division • - Office of Coastal Survey • - Coastal Services Center • Port of Pascagoula • Senator Cochran’s Office • Senator Wicker’s Office • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service •

Private & NGO: • Anchor, QEA • Bean Companies • Chevron Pascagoula • CH2M Hill • Filtrex Land and Improvement Systems • Ingalls, Pascagoula • ORA Technologies • VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula

MSBU GOAL

Regional Sediment Management Thanks to the GOMA/ HCRT- Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP)

1) Mississippi loses 200 acres per year of marsh and related habitat (10,000 acres since the 1950s).

2) There is no net accretion. 3) Dredged materials are the dominant sediment

resource (5 – 10 MCY annually). Therefore: Ensure any materials dredged from the Mississippi Sound are reused in or adjoining the Sound in a way that directly benefits ecological management or ecosystem functions.

Mississippi Sound, MSBU Program RED = State Boundaries Green = Current BU projects – approx. 200 acres Purple = Priorities – approx. 5,000 + acres

Objectives Holistic , economical approach 1) Prioritize habitats that are in a “trajectory of decline” that can be

readily managed using geologic materials to increase substrate elevations

2) Place dredged materials in a way that best mimics natural Mississippi littoral habitats and shorelines.

a) No containment (thin layer, etc.) where possible b) Native materials (sand, clay) when containment and protection are needed c) Biodegradable materials (coir, straw bales) d) Oyster or reef structures Collaboration See next!

Port of Gulfport to Deer Island

DIMR1

DIMR2

DEER ISLAND PROJECT SITE As of Fall 2012

Deer Island Plan View

DIMR1

DIMR2

September 2

September 2013

DIMR1

DIMR2

DIMR1, Ground Level, April 2014

• Deer Island BU Summary: • • Layout, 2 “cells” • - DIMR1 built by USACE Mobile in 2003, 40 acres (costs not included in this analysis) • - DIMR2 built by Port of Gulfport in 2012, 40 acres • History • - DIMR1 loses substantial interior volume from Katrina (2005) • - DIMR2 dike constructed summer 2012 • MSBU Program Involvement (2012 through Present) • - Port of Gulfport needs BU capacity for 330,000 cubic yards of new cut material • - MDMR has maintenance permit for DIMR1 and new permit for DIMR2 • - Port of Gulfport begins pumping 200,000 cubic yards to enhance DIMR1 while • concurrently constructing dike for DIMR2 • - Port pumps final 130,000 cubic yards into DIMR2 • - MSBU conducts access channel and dike maintenance (April 2014) • Future • - Jackson County will pump approx. 230,000 cubic yards into DIMR1 2014/ 2015 to complete filling to marsh elevation. • • BU Project Costs* (2012 to present) • - DIMR2 side cast sand containment dike (2012) - $225,000 • - DIMR2 planting 50,000 • - DIMR2 channel and dike maintenance (2014) - 50,000 • • BU Project Costs* (Future) • - Additional dike and tide channel work- $100,000 max. • Total $425,000.00 •

• Total Project acres approx. 80 $5300 per acre •

• Total Project cubic yards approx. 560,000 $ .65 per cubic yard • • • * BU Project Costs reflect cost of the BU specific operation. The costs of dredging, transportation and off loading are considered part of the dredging

operation. Port of Gulfport saved approximately $1.3 million building using DIMR1 and constructing DIMR2 versus their only physically/ economically viable option. If DIMR1 had not already existed, a new site with sufficient capacity could have been built for an additional $200,000, raising casts to about $7800 per acre / and $1.11 per cubic yard. In either scenario, this is economical, natural containment for dredged materials.

Current Project Activity

Current Project Activity

• Round Island BU Summary: • • Layout, 1 cell so far • - 70 acre training “toe” dike built by V.T Halter Marine , Fall 2013. Transport of material paid for by the Port of Pascagoula • History • 100 % MSBU Program Involvement • - V.T.Halter needs BU capacity for potentially 1 million + cubic yards of new cut and previously stockpiled material • - MDMR develops 800 acre concept and initiates permit fprocess or Round Island • - Anticipated volume reduces to about 600,000 cubic yards • - Final permit footprint is reduced to 220 acres incurrent location, north of remaining natural island • - Anticipated dredge volume is reduced to about 350,000 cubic yards • - Current 70 acre footprint is adopted. • - Dike complete October 2013 - • - Material pumping begins November 2013 • - Pumping is delayed until June 2014

- Material quality exceeds expectations with high sand content, is prioritized for dike construction, forming additional capacity for finer grained BU materials in the future.

• Future • - Remainder of currently permitted 220 acre footprint will be built out in new cells as needed. Expansion to larger footprint

of 800 acres will be pursued in future (potentially 10 – 20 years). • • BU Project Costs • - 70 acre side cast sand toe dike (2013) - $425,000 • • Total Project acres approx. 70 $6100 per acre • • Total Project cubic yards approx. 350,000 $1.20 per cubic yard • • • * BU Project Costs reflect cost of the BU specific operation. The costs of dredging, transportation and off loading are considered part

of the dredging operation.

2000 foot loss in 60 years

West Hancock County, MS

Hancock County, MS Large Shoreline Restoration Concept, 3000 ac., Port of Gulfport?

Pascagoula, Jackson County, MS Large Island Concept, 1500 ac. Port of Pascagoula and Tenants

Biloxi Marsh, Eastern Louisiana Preliminary Investigations, Large Thin-layer Project w Port of Gulfport. 1000 to 5000 ac.

Thank you!