The Port of Baltimore has just released this very interesting video named ‘Other Uses of Dredged Material’.
The Baltimore water routes require frequent dredging to maintain the 50-foot depth required by many of today’s ships.
On average, almost five million cubic yards of sediment – called ‘dredged material’ – is removed from shipping channels in the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore Harbor every year.
The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work together to execute projects and find placement sites for the dredged material.
Dredged material is generally placed in a specially designed area enclosed by a dike, called a placement site.
Over time, the sediment dries and becomes new land.
Dredged material is also used to restore eroded wetlands, create upland wildlife habitat, and build new terminal space for the port.