Surfbirds News

As the federal agency responsible for maintaining navigable waterways and for shoreline protection, the Corps dredges and relocates over 250 million cubic yards of material each year. Coastal dredging and disposal operations have tremendous, and often unrecognized, potential for bird habitat creation and management.

Piping Plover Chicago, Illinois, Montrose Beach 9/27/04 from the Surfbirds Galleries © Robert Hughes

In recognition of the potential benefit to bird populations, ABC and the Corps have initiated a partnership to explore ways of integrating the conservation of priority bird species into the planning and execution of large, coastal, engineering projects. For example, sediments from the routine maintenance dredging of the Atlantic Intra-Coastal Waterway have been used to create productive near-shore and offshore island nesting habitat for many species of terns and for Black Skimmers.

Without the regular placement of sand on dredged material islands, terns and skimmers are forced to nest on mainland beaches where increased disturbance from human recreational activity and predators such as raccoons and cats can significantly reduce nest success. With increasing development along the entire U.S. coastline, there will be a much greater need for the creation and active management of suitable nesting, foraging, and roosting habitats for coastal birds.

In January 2005, ABC and the Corps held the first of four regional workshops on dredging, beach nourishment, and bird conservation at Jekyll Island, Georgia. Emphasis was placed on the importance of maintaining productive, low-energy, inter-tidal habitats around inlets and estuaries for nesting and wintering Piping Plovers and other migratory shorebirds. Best management practices for large dredge disposal sites that can produce highly productive foraging or roosting habitat for migratory birds were also proposed. For example, seasonal management of water levels at seven disposal sites near the Savannah Harbor attracts tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds each year. In total, over 288 bird species have been documented at the site.

ABC will provide expertise to the Corps on the needs of priority birds, in coordination with the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, and the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. Proceedings from the Jekyll Island workshop and information about future regional workshops on dredging, beach nourishment, and bird conservation will soon be available online at: Click Here