Dredge Landscapes: Sediment Flows, Earth Moving, and Dredge as Designed Landscape From river control to erosion fences, a diverse array of human activities manipulates sediments and change landscapes. This panel explores the emerging role of landscape architects in using dredged material as a resource, the role of sediments in coastal resilience, and dredge landscapes as habitable places rather than disposal zones.
SESSION OUTLINE INTRODUCTION - BRETT MILLIGAN A. Why do we care about dredge and the manipulation of sediments? Why is this important to the design and planning professions? 1. Magnitude of human alteration on hydrogeologic cycles a. humans as the earth s preeminent geologic agents b. the design and making of landform is occurring at the grandest of scales with in engineering fields. What contributions do we want to make? B. Introduction to The Dredge Cycle: Dredge landscapes as the products of human modification of sediment regimens 1. Why we dredge, and why continue to dredge more and more 2. Effects and environmental feedbacks of dredging: accelerating, decelerating, redirecting flows of sediments. 3. Pressing need to design sedimentary trajectories with greater skill, foresight and creatively. C. Introduction of Speakers WORKING WITH NATURE - HUGH ROBERTS A. Overview of the role of sediment in shaping and sustaining the natural environment B. Sea level rise considerations for coastal wetlands C. Working with nature concepts: 1. Sediment diversions along the Mississippi River - Delivering sediment rich waters to the adjacent delta to replicate natural delta building processes. 2. The Sand Engine in the Netherlands - a placed sand source expected to be more cost effective than traditional beach replenishment, while causing less disruption to the natural environment over the life of the project. 3. Sustainable shoreline design - focusing on consideration of natural retreal opportunities for coastal wetlands and maritime forest.
SESSION OUTLINE CONT. THE DREDGE - CHRISTOPHER DOLS A. Defining Dredging, Dredging Types B. Dredging Applications 1. Navigation/Infrastructure 2. Real Estate 3. Recreation 4. Environmental 5. Coastal Protection C. Examples of Dredged Landscapes 1. Coastal Chicago 2. Peanut Island, Palm Beach D. Making Land 1. Cutter Suction Dredging and Placement 2. Trailing Suction Hopper Dredging, Transport, and Placement 3. Beaches, Marshes and the Future of Coastal Protection DESIGNING DREDGE - SEAN BURKHOLDER A. Landscapes of dredge in the United States B. Challenges facing dredge or dredge landscape re-use 1. Perception (seen as waste) 2. Contamination 3. Material Variability 4. Federal Management C. Potentials associated with dredge 1. Didactic for both ecological and industrial processes 2. Dialectic interpretation as strange, un-designed, myopic landscapes 3. Generally associated with urban areas 4. Areas are large scale and can accommodate less-common, less acceptable uses D. Role of the Landscape Architect 1. Through strongly advocating for these industrial landscapes as public, Landscape Architects can develop agency in the larger discussion of sediment management, which is key to the issues of coastal resilience, coastal ecosystem restoration and climate change adaptation that Landscape Architects have recently begun to engage.
SPEAKER BIOS BRETT MILLIGAN Moderator Dredge Research Collaborative Davis, CA United States Brett Milligan is an assistant professor of landscape architecture and environmental design at the University of California, Davis. Prior to teaching, he practiced landscape architecture in Portland, OR. His research and practice operates in the fields of ecological engineering and the design of land-water interfaces; seeking to meld ecological and infrastructural performance with aesthetics and expanded forms of public engagement. Brett is a founding member of the Dredge Research Collaborative, a research entity that has organized DredgeFest NYC and DredgeFest Louisiana. These events consist of interdisciplinary symposia, exhibitions and public tours investigating the enhanced design of regional sedimentary processes. HUGH ROBERTS Presenter ARCADIS Boulder, CO United States Hugh J. Roberts is a water resources engineer at ARCADIS specializing in numerical modeling applications for coastal, riverine and hydrologic applications. Hugh has managed, analyzed and designed projects ranging from storm surge protection systems, sea level rise vulnerability assessments, environmental impact studies, coastal restoration analyses, and design and optimization of hydraulic controls. Hugh is ARCADIS national numerical modeling lead. His core technical experience includes hydrodynamic, nearshore wave, hydrologic, and transport numerical modeling. Hugh recently managed the conceptual design of the White Ditch sediment diversion along the Lower Mississippi River, which is being designed to deliver sediment rich waters (35,000 cfs) to the adjacent delta during spring months when sediment loads are highest in the river. CHRISTOPHER DOLS Presenter Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Portsmouth, NH United States Christopher Dols is a Project Engineer with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock with dredging experience in clamshell, hopper & hydraulic operations. He is most recently stationed on the drillboat Apache, blasting to deepen New York s Arthur Kill channel in anticipation of the completion of the Panama Canal s expansion. Beyond operations, Christopher s interests include project design, landscape preservation and expanded applications of environmental dredging by better integrating the experience and capacity of the dredging industry into the planning process. SEAN BURKHOLDER Presenter University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY United States Sean Burkholder is the assistant professor of Landscape and Urban Design at SUNY Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. He has practiced as a designer and project manager at scales ranging from architecture to the urban region. Currently his research and practice focuses broadly on the reconsideration of post-industrial urban landscapes and the role ecological processes play in their speculated futures. More specifically this work looks at vacant land performance, rudural plant colonization, the perception and access of waste landscapes and the exploration of dredged sediment management regimes and their impact on the urban and social ecologies of the Great Lakes Basin. Last year, Matt Moffitt, a student within Sean s Designing Dredge studio, received the ASLA Student Excellence award for Design for his Dredge City project in Toledo Ohio.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Gain knowledge of the range of landscapes produced by dredging. Identify avenues for designers to engage dredging and other sedimentary design processes. Be able to explain the social and ecological challenges and potentials of dredging and dredge material management. Provide a series of methodologies for overcoming challenges associated with landscapes of dredge. RESOURCES Becker, Stephen, Holmes, Rob, Maly, Tim, Milligan, Brett. (2013). Dredge in L. Sheppard & N. Bhatia (Eds.) Bracket [Goes soft]. Actar Press. ERDC, United States Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center. Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material. Retrieved from http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/dots/ budm/budm.cfm. Holmes, R., & Milligan, B. (2013, Spring). Feedback: Designing the Dredge Cycle. Scenario Journal. Retrieved from http://scenariojournal.com/article/feedback-designing-the-dredgecycle/. Hooke, R.LeB., et al. (2012). Land Transformation By Humans: A Review. GSA Today, v. 22, no. 12: p. 4-10 Hooke, R.LeB. (1994). On the Efficacy of Humans as Geomorphic Agents. GSA Today, v. 4: p. 224 225. Louisiana, State of. (2012) Louisiana s Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast. Retrieved from http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisiana.gov/2012-master-plan/final-masterplan/ Ruet, Jennifer. (2014, August). The Dredge Underground. Landscape Architecture Magazine, v. 104 no. 12: p. 86-101
The Cutter Suction Dredge Texas deepens the Palm Beach Harbor entrance channel adjacent to Peanut Island, a landmark of dredging history, constructed in 1918 with the earth dredged to create the port and inlet of Palm Beach Florida. photo: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock The Cutter Suction Dredge Sandpiper dredges a shallow channel to remove land, displaying clearly the arc of the excavating cutter head in the dredging process. photo: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock
The Dredge Cycle: Brett Milligan and the Dredge Research Collaborative Benedicial reuse of dredge material for upland wildlife habitat, Ross Island, Willamette River; Porthand, Oregon. photo: Brett Milligan
Confined disposal facility #4, Buffalo, NY. photo: Above All Ohio Times Beach Nature Preserve, former dredge disposal facility; Buffalo, NY. photo: Sean Burkholder