Developing IOT Sensor Systems to Reduce Cost of Dredging for Coastal Restoration Initiatives

Rising sea levels and increased storm events leave many areas around the country more vulnerable to accelerating rates of coastal erosion and land loss, resulting in the need for nation-wide coastal restoration initiatives to protect our infrastructure. Dredging and beneficial use of dredge material is a major component that helps maintain and protect the coast. However, there are numerous sites where excess dredge fill (DF) is placed due to lack of real-time data accounting for DF variation. To bridge the gap between design and construction, Adaptive Management and Engineering (AME) is developing the Instrumented Grade Stake (IGS). The IGS is a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system that addresses (A) the type and rate of flow of material into DF sites in real time, and (B) calculation of field values at the site from multiple points of measurement. According to The Water Institute, just a 10% reduction in the cost of dredging would result in $2.2 billion dollars saved in the state of Louisiana alone.1 By developing a low cost IOT marsh creation monitoring system, AME can optimize DF placement, minimize waste, and reduce the need for dredge equipment re-mobilization, thereby achieving the 10% cost reduction.