American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) Coastal Innovator Award

The Big River Coalition’s Sediment Recycling Program has been specially recognized by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.  The Sediment Recycling Program that reintroduced cutterhead dredges to the channel maintenance toolbox for Southwest Pass has been distinguished as the winner of ASBPA’s Coastal Innovator Award for 2016.  

The ASBPA Awards will be presented at a Congressional reception on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 1730 hours to 1900 hours (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) in the Rayburn House Office Building’s Room B339 (Washington, DC).  Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) will be presented with Congressional awards related to coastal advocacy at this reception.  

The Sediment Recycling program, which is aligned with the Corps’ Mississippi Valley New Orleans office, established the new national record for the amount of beneficial use last year.  In 2015 cutterhead dredges beneficially utilized nearly 21 million cubic yards (20.8 million cubic yards) of sediment removed from the navigation channel to create nearly 2,000 acres of new Louisiana in the area of the Head of Passes (photo attached).

The undersigned will accept this award on behalf of the Big River Coalition, but there is no doubt this recognition is viewed as a team award for the membership of the Big River Coalition and Team Mississippi River.

For more information on the ASBPA Coastal Summit 2016 program please click here.