Executive Overview and Detailed Summary

Recognizing a need for a comprehensive nationwide research program on the effects of dredged material disposal, Congress authorized and the Corps of Engineers accomplished the Dredged Material Research Program (DMRP). Over 250 individuals studies were conducted between 1973 and 1978 at a cost of $32.8 million. In contrast to previous largely site-specific project investigations, these studies were generic in nature with the intent of developing methods of predicting effects before a project is carried out. Results of conceptual and laboratory studies were tested in the field under actual project conditions to improve the applicability of the predictive capability. Specific goals of the DMRP were to define the water quality and biological effects of open-water, upland, and wetland disposal; improve the effectiveness and acceptance of confined land disposal where it is a desirable alternative; test and evaluate concepts of wetland and upland habitat development using dredged material; and develop and test concepts of using dredged material as a productive natural resource. The large volume of information generated in pursuit of these goals has been transmitted to Corps operating elements in various formats, incorporated into formal directives, and used extensively in the criteria and guidelines established for regulatory programs. The most significant overall conclusion to be drawn from the DMRP is that no single disposal alternative (e.g., open-water disposal, confined upland disposal) is presumptively suitable for a geographic region or group of projects. Report on Dredged Material Research Program.