During the~ next 25 years, more than 280 millicm cubic yards of sediment will be dredged from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (Table 1). Altogether more than 800 million dollars will be spent to deepen ports and maintain shipping channels. About one-third of the maintenance dredgin~; will be done in ports and harbors where the sediment is contaminated by industrial wastes and sewage discharge. Because of long-continued disposal of dredged material, the region is losing its physical capacity to assimilate more material. Where then can these enormous loads be placed at acceptable costs? And what are the best guidelines for selecting placement sites to accomodate polluted material? What guidelines are needed for predicting the short and long-term impacts of dredging and disposal? These are! important management questions facing bay scientists, engineers, and managers who aim to protect priority resources and at the same time to accomodate shipping that requires deeper channels and efficient navigation.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1173/thumbnail.jp
