Posted on March 17, 2026
The Nature Conservancy believes we can do better—by connecting these two vital activities to benefit both people and nature.
Every year, hundreds of millions of cubic yards of sediment are dredged to keep our ports and waterways open. At the same time, our marshes and coastal habitats are disappearing. What if we matched dredging with restoration? What if we reused sediment to rebuild coastal ecosystems?
That’s the promise of beneficial use.
TNC is working to make this happen at scale—by connecting and coordinating partners from industry, conservation, and state and federal agencies to work on policies, planning and projects to make dredging and restoration more cost-effective, more sustainable and more impactful.
Introducing Sediment Strategies
To support this effort, we’ve launched the Sediment Strategies Group (SSG)—a network of experts guiding our work—and published the Sediment Strategies document to give us a shared foundation for collaboration.
This guide offers:
- A high-level overview of beneficial use
- Practical guidance on permitting, funding and design
- Real-world case studies that work
You can access the downloadable guide at the end of this page.
Join Us
TNC is advancing beneficial use across North America from the Northeast, to the Mid-Atlantic, to the Gulf and beyond. We’re looking for partners, pilot sites and policy champions to join us in this important work.
If you’re working on sediment management, coastal restoration or resilience planning, we’d love to connect.
Sediment Strategies
Considerations and Case Studies for Beneficial Use. Download the document here.
