Predicting and Monitoring Dredge-Induced Dissolved Oxygen Reduction. Environmental Effects of Dredging
Abstract
This note summarizes the results of research into the potential for dissolved oxygen (DO) reduction associated with dredging operations. Efforts toward development of a simple computational model for predicting the degree of dredge-induced DO reduction are described along with results of a monitoring program around a bucket dredge operation. The biological impact of dredge-induced DO reduction is sometimes cited as a concern by resource management agencies, as was the case with fishery resource managers presented with a proposal to dredge the Haverstraw Bay portion of the Hudson River Estuary from August through October 1987. Haverstraw Bay is a shallow (2.5 to 3.0 m), wide (5 km) reach of the Hudson River and is an important nursery area for several species of anadromous fishes, including striped bass, Morone saxatilis, the juveniles of which congregate in the shoals during late summer-early fall. The New York District and the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station responded to the concern by constructing and applying two simple computational models for predicting the effect of a dredging operation on DO concentrations. A monitoring study was designed and conducted to measure actual dredge-induced DO reduction in Haverstraw Bay and compare these values to those predicted by the models (Lunz, LaSalle, and Houston 1988). A description and comparison of the models and the results of the monitoring program are the subjects of this note.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA382302
Entities
People
- John D. Lunz
- Leonard Houston
- Mark W. Lasalle