Page 21: of Marine News Magazine (July 2026)

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Feature

Dredging ti? c evidence. These outdated windows directly raise costs pleting necessary projects within reasonable timeframes.

for the American taxpayer by increasing the risk of emer- Other RIDF mechanisms include deterrents designed to gency shoaling conditions and extending some dredging encourage endangered species already present in the area to projects over multiple seasons. The windows create ? nan- move elsewhere. One method uses electric and magnetic puls- cial risk for the dredge owners and operators when they es to discourage animals from remaining in the vicinity. While have to idle their vessels. They run the risk of laying off or effective, these pulses can, in some cases, disrupt certain bio- losing crew members. logical electroreception processes. As a result, the USACE

Given that the windows push projects away from warmer also exploring non-invasive visual silhouette deterrents that periods and into the colder months of the year, there are project shadows resembling large sharks and other predators, also costs associated with the safety risks to crewmembers signaling that the area is not safe for these species to remain.

who must complete work in sub-optimal and sometimes Another USACE-suggested technique is the use of extreme winter conditions. Furthermore, each protected Turtle Tickler Chains (TTCs), which discourage turtles, species operates on a distinct biological clock (though often sturgeon, and other benthic organisms from remaining in not set to a speci? c schedule like the compulsory windows the area. The Dredging Contractors of America and other suggest) which often collide or overlap with each other, fur- organizations are working with the Administration and ther restricting the ability to complete essential projects. Congress to increase the number of dredging days per year.

These windows make it dif? cult to meet contractual As discussed at the National Dredge Meeting, this year is delivery schedules, often resulting in delays and potential being described as a very important year to start the pro- monetary penalties. The associated costs including vessel cess of expanding dredging work windows. idling, crew retention, and reduced operational ef? cien- Although the Jones Act waiver and dredging windows in- cy can be substantial, ultimately increasing project costs volve different policy areas, both demonstrate the importance borne by both contractors and taxpayers. of grounding maritime policy in long-term interests and Today’s dredging windows are based on overly conserva- modern evidence rather than short-term political responses tive information from the 1970s and 1980s when dredge and outdated assumptions. In one case, administrative ac- operators and regulators simply did not have the technol- tions have set aside a foundational maritime law despite lim- ogy required to determine exactly where protected species ited evidence that doing so achieves its stated purpose. In the resided at any point in time. Technology has advanced ex- other, regulators continue to rely on rigid seasonal restric- ponentially in recent decades. Through Risk-Informed De- tions developed when today’s monitoring technologies did cision Frameworks (RIDFs) that incorporate real-time data not exist. A durable maritime strategy should do neither. It such as water temperature, turbidity, salinity, and historical should strengthen America’s national and economic security ecological information, dredging operators now have the while embracing modern tools that improve ef? ciency and tools to effectively reduce environmental risks while com- environmental stewardship simultaneously. www.marinelink.com MN 21|