Gulf Regional Sediment Master Plan Technical
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1 2 Contents Contents 3 Contributing Authors 6 Executive Summary 8 List of Abbreviations 14 1.0 INTRODUCTION 17 1.1 Background 17 1.2 Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP) 18 1.3.1 Purpose 19 1.3.2 Goals 19 2.0 GULF OF MEXICO PROCESSES 21 2.1 Gulf of Mexico setting 21 2.1.1 Gulf of Mexico Hydrodynamics 22 2.1.2 Gulf of Mexico Sediments 24 2.1.3 Gulf of Mexico Geomorphology 24 2.2 Climate Change and Social Vulnerability 26 2.3 References 30 3.0 GULF OF MEXICO RSM FOCUS AREAS 32 3.1 Sediment Resources 33 3.1.1 Gulf of Mexico Regional Sediment Budget 33 3.1.1.1 Introduction 33 3.1.1.2 Gulf Regional Sediment Budget 34 3.1.1.3 Relevance of Sediment Budgets and Future RSM Needs 52 3.1.1.4 Recommendations 54 3.1.1.5 References 55 3.1.2 Offshore Sediment Resource Inventory 58 3.1.2.1 Introduction 58 3.1.2.2 Offshore marine sand bodies and sediment resource management 62 3.1.2.3 Environmental issues of offshore dredging 63 3.1.2.4 Florida offshore sediment resources 64 3.1.2.5 Alabama and Mississippi offshore sediment resources 65 3.1.2.6 Louisiana offshore sediment resources 66 3 3.1.2.7 Texas Offshore Sediment Resources 70 3.1.2.8 Relevance of Sediment Inventories to the GRSMMP 71 3.1.2.9 Recommendations 71 3.1.2.10 References 74 3.1.3 Dredging Activities 88 3.1.3.1 Introduction 88 3.1.3.2 Dredging Information 88 3.1.3.3 Relevance of Dredging Activities to the GRSMMP 89 3.1.3.4 Dredging Activities Recommendations. 89 3.1.3.5 References 90 3.2 Ecological Aspects of Coastal Sediment Management in the Gulf of Mexico 91 3.2.1 Introduction 91 3.2.2 Natural System 92 3.2.2.1 Climate 92 3.2.2.2 Coastal Environments and Habitats 92 3.2.2.3 Approaches to Sediment Management 97 3.2.2.4 The Context of Climate Change 98 3.2.2.5 Implications of Sediment Management 99 3.2.2.6 Case Study 101 3.2.3 Relevance of Ecological Aspects of Coastal Sediment Management to the GRSMMP 105 3.2.4 Recommendations 105 3.2.5 References 107 3.3 Information Management Related to RSM 114 3.3.1 Introduction 114 3.3.2 Enterprise GIS 114 3.3.3 eCoastal and CE-Dredge Enterprise GIS 115 3.3.3.1 The eCoastal Data Model 115 3.3.3.2 Components of eCoastal 116 3.3.4 Management Tools 118 3.3.4.1 Why Use Regional Models and Tools? 118 3.3.4.2 Categories of Tools 118 3.3.5 PHINS Map Viewer 119 3.3.6 Relevance of Information Management to the GRSMMP 120 4 3.3.7 Recommendations 120 3.4 Policies, Authorities, and Funding 121 3.4.1 Introduction 121 3.4.2 Policies 122 3.4.3 Authorities 125 3.4.4 Funding 131 3.4.5 RSM and BUDM Enabling Tools 132 3.4.6 Relevance of Policies, Authorities, and Funding to the GRSMMP. 133 3.4.7 Policies, Authorities, and Funding Recommendations 134 4.0 MANAGING GULF SEDIMENTS IN THE FUTURE 136 4.1 Next Steps 136 4.2 Other Suggested Sediment-Related Efforts 138 Glossary of Terms 139 5 Contributing Authors Cover Ryan Fikes, Gulf of Mexico Foundation, Corpus Christi, TX ([email protected]; 361-882-3939) 1.0 Introduction Larry Parson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District ([email protected]; 251 690-3139) 2.0 Gulf of Mexico Processes Jean Ellis, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina ([email protected]; 803-777-1593) S. Jeffress Williams, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, MA ([email protected]; 508-457-2383) 3.1.1 Gulf of Mexico Regional Sediment Budget Jeffrey P. Waters, Coastal & Hydraulics Lab, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center, Vicksburg, MS ([email protected]; 601-634-2020) Syed Khalil, Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration ([email protected]; 225-342-1641) 3.1.2 Offshore Sediment Resource Inventory S. Jeffress Williams, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, MA ([email protected]; 508-457-2383) Matthew A. Arsenault, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center, MA ([email protected]; (508)-457-2354) James Flocks, U.S. Geological Survey, St Petersburg Science Center, FL ([email protected]; 727-803-8747) Syed Khalil, Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration ([email protected]; 225-342-1641) Juan Moya, Texas General Land Office ([email protected]; 512-475-3735) 3.1.3 Dredging Activities Larry Parson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District ([email protected]; 251 690-3139) 6 3.2 Ecological Aspects of Coastal Sediment Management in the Gulf of Mexico Denise J. Reed, Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of New Orleans ([email protected]: 504-280-7395) Ann M. Commagere, Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of New Orleans ([email protected]: 504-280-6790) Sarah M. Fearnley, Laredo Community College ([email protected]: 956-721-5195) 3.3 Information Management Related to RSM Clint Padgett, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Spatial Data Branch ([email protected]; 251-6943721) Klay Williams, Bowhead Contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Spatial Data Branch ([email protected]; 251-694-3747) Rose Dopsovic, Bowhead Contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Spatial Data Branch ([email protected]; 251-680-4047) 3.4 Policies, Authorities, and Funding Ray Newby, Texas General Land Office ([email protected]; 512-475-3624) John Bowie, Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf of Mexico Program ([email protected]; 228-688-3888) Lynn Martin, U.S. Army Institute for Water Resources, Alexandria, VA ([email protected]; 703-428-8065) 4.0 Managing Gulf Sediments in the Future Lynn Martin, U.S. Army Institute for Water Resources, Alexandria, VA ([email protected]; 703-428-8065) Larry Parson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District ([email protected]; 251 690-3139) 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) has instituted a collaborative partnership among the Gulf States to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. The Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team (HCRT), established under GOMA, has recognized that sediment resources are integral to and a critical resource necessary in accomplishing many of the GOMA conservation and restoration initiatives and objectives. The Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP) was initiated as a result for managing this valuable resource and verifies the need for a comprehensive understanding of regional sediment systems and processes. This plan will provide guidelines using the understanding of sediment dynamics (inputs, outputs, movement) to manage sediment resources towards accomplishing environmental restoration, conservation, and preservation while enhancing abilities to make informed, cooperative management decisions. The first step in the development of such a plan is to identify the technical framework that provides an understanding of the foundation associated with regional sediment management (RSM) processes. These processes are key for establishing management guidelines that balance sediment dynamics and available sediment resources with sediment needs, and provide a basis for assessing competing sediment needs, enhance abilities to make informed cooperative management decisions, and develop regional strategies. Issues surrounding sediment management, both natural movement and dredged sediments, have significant impact on the ability to restore and sustain coastal habitats. Sediment management must occur on a regional scale unencumbered by agency, state, or national boundaries. Guidelines and recommendations resulting from this effort will aid the Gulf States for more effective management of sediment resources, recognizing they are a part of a regional system involving natural processes and man- made activities. The effort involves a range of state and federal agencies as well as NGO representatives. As a result of the extensive interagency coordination and planning activities, several essential baseline topics emerged. Along with summarizing the general processes throughout the Gulf, these topics became the main focal points and technical framework of the GRSMMP. The focus areas and work groups providing a mix of Federal, state, or non-governmental representatives were formed to address each of these topics for inclusion in this document. These focus areas address the essential technical framework for the GRSMMP and include: Sediment Resources. This focus area looks at sediment transport processes and sediment budget issues and evaluates studies that have been done that support the GRSMMP. The focus area also identifies and summarizes existing programs, studies, and databases that can provide information concerning sediment resources throughout the Gulf. Due to the comprehensive nature of this focus area, it is partitioned into three sub-focus areas: • Sediment Budgets: Deals with sediment transport, sediment budgets, and inventories that may support the GRSMMP. This effort will also compile and summarize programs, studies, and databases that provide information concerning sediment sources and dredging activities. Recommendations from this focus area include the following: ◦ The Gulf Alliance should continue to identify, update, and compile sediment budget data into a common GIS-based data management framework in order to address various sediment management issues related to restoration around the Gulf of Mexico. 8 ◦ The Gulf Alliance should work to increase awareness of the importance of reliable sediment budgets to inform sediment management decisions.