Evaluation of Sediment Removal Options and Beneficial Use of Dredged Material for Illinois River Restoration: Preliminary Report

Marlin, John C.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/107173 Copy

Description

Title

Evaluation of Sediment Removal Options and Beneficial Use of Dredged Material for Illinois River Restoration: Preliminary Report

Author(s)

Marlin, John C.

Issue Date

2002-06

Keyword(s)

• Dredging -- Illinois River
• Mud to Parks project
• Sediment
• Beneficial reuse

Geographic Coverage

Illinois River

Abstract

The overall habitat quality of the Illinois River is significantly degraded by over 100 years of sediment accumulation. Once-deep backwaters and side channels have lost well over 70 percent of their water storage capacity and in many areas average about a foot deep. A twenty-year restoration project by the State of Illinois and Army Corps of Engineers is being planned to address this problem. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is evaluating methods of restoring habitat diversity by removing sediment to create a variety of water depths and elevations on the floodplain and islands. Numerous agencies and private companies have cooperated in this effort. This paper provides an overview of the work in progress and preliminary results. Potential beneficial uses of the sediment include topsoil and island formation. For these purposes it is best to add as little water as possible during dredging. The Dry Dredge™ completed a small pilot island in two feet of water by filling a ring of geotextile tubes and then pumping sediment at in situ moisture content into the ring. The Dry Dredge™ and a conventional clamshell also piled sediment at various elevations on an existing island where consolidation and erosion were observed. The transport of freshly excavated sediment on conventional conveyor belts was demonstrated. Sediment cores six feet in length were taken with a vibracore and analyzed for a variety of chemical and physical parameters. Plant growth in sediment was compared to that of native topsoil in greenhouse tests, and field tests with corn and soybeans are underway. Prior dredged material placement sites were investigated to determine the agronomic properties of the sediment after years of weathering. Additionally, clam shelled sediment at in situ moisture content was trucked to a former industrial site where the progress of soil formation is being monitored along with the appearance of plants. The potential exists for unloading sediment from barges directly onto brownfields and farmland with slurry pumps. A hydrodynamic model was developed to predict project impacts on flood heights, water flow and sedimentation rates. Researchers are also looking into various methods of detecting objects buried in sediment.

Publisher

Bonsall, CA : Western Dredging Assocation

Type of Resource

• text
• other

Language

en

Permalink

• https://www.westerndredging.org/images/proceedings/2002/Evaluation%20of%20Sediment%20Removal%20Options%20and%20Beneficial%20Use%20of%20Dredged.pdf
• http://hdl.handle.net/2142/107173

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