VI-145 



estuaries. Research is called for to provide an adequate knowledge 

 of how to prevent and control the effects of this material. Such 

 research should be directed to methods for determining the origin 

 of bottom deposits, their physical characterization, acceptable 

 measurement techniques, transport phenomena, effect on the ecology 

 of the system, and the die-away and fate of these materials. The 

 ultimate question is, of course, how to prevent undesirable sediment- 

 ation from increasing and how to get rid of existing deposits econom- 

 ically and efficiently. It may well be that practical solutions to 

 this problem will not be forthcoming. In this case, dependable 

 information on the natural die-away characteristics of bottom 

 deposits would be very desirable. Studies should be made toward 

 developing biological systems or marine sludges capable of degrading 

 industrial and domestic wastes discharged into marine waters. 



Dredging and Spoil 



The pollutional effects resulting from dredging operations is 

 part of the problem of control of undesirable bottom deposits. 

 Conceivably, dredging may be offered as the method of choice for 

 removing objectionable bottom deposits; thus, the disposal of 

 such dredgings is a matter of importance and additional research 

 on its handling and disposition should be pursued. Much of the 

 spoil from conmercial and navigational dredging operations is 

 deposited in the low-lying marsh areas. As the value of wetlands 



