Regional Analysis of Potential Beneficial Use Locations: San Francisco Bay

SFEI and partners are engaged in a long-term effort to define and quantify baylands resilience for San Francisco Bay through the Baylands Resilience Framework.  In developing this framework, we ask: How can baylands resilience be measured? How can it be increased? 

The US Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District is interested in how the answers to those questions might inform their decision-making about beneficial use of dredged material removed from navigation channels. SFEI is supporting the development of the San Francisco Bay Regional Dredged Material Management Plan by providing quantitative data that allows comparison of tradeoffs and benefits between potential dredged material placement sites. These sites include existing marshes as well as future restoration sites in diked baylands. The metrics can help provide quantitative justification for federal cost-share and help prioritize sites for future beneficial use pilot projects. This is part of USACE’s intent to increase the beneficial use of dredged materials significantly in the near future, given the critical connection to ecosystem services including wildlife support and flood attenuation. In the future, the metrics developed for this study can be re-analyzed to track how beneficial use projects have changed baylands resilience to sea-level rise.

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