Reports
Preliminary report on bottom and sub-bottom sediment characteristics at 5 proposed island creation sites
1997, Halka, J.P.
File Reports, Coastal and Estuarine Geology, File Report 1997-06
Introduction
Dredging and placement of dredged sediment is a continuing need for maintaining open navigation channels to and from the Port of Baltimore. The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) is responsible for coordinating these activities to insure the continued viability of the Port. The MPA has been charged with conducting a pre-feasibility study of potential sites to address the long-term dredging needs in the northern portion of the Chesapeake Bay. To accommodate these needs the creation of an island containment facility for clean dredged sediments has been proposed and the pre-feasibility study is examining various site options.
At the present time, five sites are under consideration for the development of a contained sediment placement facility in the upper Bay. As part of the pre-feasibility study of these sites, the MPA contracted with the Coastal and Estuarine Geology project of the Maryland Geological Survey to conduct an acoustic remote sensing survey in the area, and to collect bottom sediment samples to provide ground truth data for the acoustic information. These data were not meant to definitively describe the geological and morphological characteristics of the sites under review, but to provide a preliminary assessment of conditions in the area. In addition, the acoustic data was intended to be useful for the environmental assessment of the areas, and for identifying and correlating bottom sediment geotechnical information collected by other contractors as part of the pre-feasibility study.
