Eco-Dredging: Balancing Sediment Removal With Environmental Preservation
By Ellie Gabel

Wastewater professionals in the U.S. are cleaning up their processes to represent sustainable ideals. Dredging is next on the list to become a greener version of itself. Sediment removal may be dredging’s basis, but it is possible to respect habitats, biodiversity, and conservation despite the activity. These actions set industry experts apart when striving for more profound eco-friendly practices.
Environmental Impact Of Conventional Dredging
Eco-friendly dredging techniques come from attempts to mend its modern shortcomings. Traditional operations attempt to support water-based trade and transportation, but they may upset aquatic ecosystems.
Turbidity plumes and pressure displace or alter a habitat’s shape. An effort to remove contaminated sediment could turn into a dispersal of pollutants in other parts of the waterbody. Sediment movement and increased flow also block sunlight from entering the water, preventing critical plants and phytoplankton from getting the nutrients they need to thrive.
An estimated six billion tons of sand leave oceans annually because of dredging activity, as the planet reckons with an ongoing sand scarcity crisis impacting major industries like glass. Overseeing bodies also monitor gravel, clay, silt and rock losses in these habitats, and all are falling at an alarming rate. In turn, dredging lowers the resilience of coastal communities, leaving them more susceptible to damage from natural disasters.
Financial experts project the sector to continue growing, likely due to skyrocketing activity in commerce and shipping. Dredging could have a market value of $14.39 billion by 2027, urging ports to expand to meet demand. It may be worth more, depending on how many eco-friendly practices companies adopt.
Eco-Dredging Methods
Dredgers can assist their clients without the destructive side effects. How should businesses combat downstream silt and sand accumulation to let waterways, plants and animals breathe?
Hydraulic Dredging
Excavation equipment is more likely to cause disturbances than water’s natural movement. Hydraulic dredging incorporates jets to move sediment. It accomplishes its goal by deepening channels while allowing surrounding wildlife to adapt.
Vacuum Dredging
Also called suction dredging, this eco-dredging method is best for shallow waters. A pump sucks sediment from an area, which increases precision. Operators have greater oversight on what they remove, making it a safer option for vulnerable habitats.
Biodegradable Dredging Or Bioaccumulation
Biodegradable dredging attempts to recreate natural processes, letting microorganisms digest unwanted muck and harmful algal blooms. This has been proven useful for turning biomass to bioenergy, making dredging even more sustainable in a life cycle assessment. It is a slower process than other eco-dredging techniques, but it is one of the least impactful on surrounding flora and fauna.
Dredge Material Recycling
Eco-dredging must be comprehensive to be sustainable, so processes outside of the job should also consider footprints. Most dredging materials go to landfills, but organizations could recycle them. Acquired sediment is helpful for countless industries, and repurposing it will support a circular economy. Eco-dredgers should partner with these sectors:
- Construction
- Conservation and habitat restoration
- Geoengineers
- Agriculture
The collaboration will keep the material out of landfills while preventing unnecessary resource extraction in other industries.
Geotextile Tubes
The sediment dredgers dig through is loose in its natural environment. Compacting it is a great way to make space without removing any of the habitat. Workers fill these massive, permeable pipes with sediment, which opens up more space without spending money or time disposing of byproducts.
Sediment Caps
It is straightforward to justify removing tons of sand or silt because the sediment harbors contaminants. However, those hostile actors are a small percentage of the removed contents. Sediment caps allow waterways to keep nutrients while isolating pollutants, usually while performing other eco-dredging activities.
Improvement Opportunities
Dredging professionals have come a long way into making processes more eco-conscious. However, the U.S. should remain positive when tackling the remaining challenges to make it greener.
Digitalization and ramping up technological adoption is critical because modern devices allow techs to gain priceless data about the areas they are dredging. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, remote-operated vehicles, GPS, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are only several umbrellas. The goal is to gather data, expand visibility over worksites and discover process improvements to become more sustainable and efficient. Tracking and reporting is also a necessity.
For example, the IoT sensors may gather information about habitat impact based on specific eco-dredging methods. Then, computer modeling can predict how much environmental impact there will be on future jobsites. One study was able to create hydromorphodynamic models for a dredging and dumping site over a five-year period. Machine learning algorithms should determine the most sensitive ecological aspects of the project, boosting staff awareness and confidence.
Additionally, it is more than the responsibility of environmental activists to advocate for stricter regulatory action. Water workers supporting eco-dredging should request agencies like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or the U.S. EPA to mandate and standardize the industry to make operations consistent and science-backed. It increases accountability in every state and removes excuses to adopt because they have documents guiding them on the best practices.
Eco-Conscious Sediment Removal
Wastewater and treatment workforces know how integral dredging is for commerce and transportation, but its reputation may be skewed because of its ecological footprint. Fortunately, technological advancements and research have made it possible to keep this industry alive without as many environmental consequences.
Companies must advocate for and embrace eco-dredging as their foundation. The growth will inspire other sectors in built environments to acquire balance via natural interactivity.
Ellie Gabel is a science writer specializing in environmental science and innovative technologies. She can be reached at ellie@revolutionized.com.