Posted on June 12, 2026
When maintaining a port or waterway, the dredged material – sand, clay, or silt – is often transported to a designated location outside the port area. In some cases, however, the dredged material can be given a second life nearby. This is the case in Harwich, United Kingdom. During port maintenance using our trailing suction hopper dredger Sospan Dau, the dredged material was used to improve the salt marshes in Copperas Bay by increasing the height of the salt marsh in strategic locations.
Salt marshes are among the most valuable coastal habitats. They provide a home for wildlife, absorb carbon, and act as a natural buffer against erosion and flooding. Yet around the coast, these vital habitats are under increasing pressure. Through the Beneficial Use of Dredging (BUDS) project, Boskalis and our client, Harwich Haven Authority, are taking material from essential maintenance dredging operations and putting it to positive use – helping to protect and strengthen vulnerable salt marsh habitat for the future.
This groundbreaking project may be the first of many similar nature restoration projects in the United Kingdom. With an eye towards these future developments, various methods have been tested here to restore the eroded salt marsh, such as a brush wood retaining structures and coir roll bunds. In this way, the project serves not only as a direct nature restoration effort but also as a learning experience for all parties involved, allowing the methods used to be further refined for future sites.
In this video, you’ll learn more about this project and the long-term benefits BUDS offers to this fragile ecosystem.
