U.S. Geological Survey
Fact Sheet 001-02
Online Version 1.0

Mapping the Sea Floor of the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) Offshore of New York City

Repeated surveys using a multibeam mapping system document changes in the topography and distribution of sediments on the sea floor caused by placement of dredged material, remedial capping, and natural processes.

By Bradford Butman

			The area offshore of New York City has been used for the disposal of dredged material for over a century. The area has also been used for the disposal of other materials such as acid waste, industrial waste, municipal sewage sludge, cellar dirt, and wood. Between 1976 and 1995, the New York Bight Dredged Material Disposal Site, also known as the Mud Dump Site (MDS), received on average about 6 million cubic yards of dredged material annually. In September 1997 the MDS was closed as a disposal site, and it and the surrounding area were designated as the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS). The sea floor of the HARS, approximately 9 square nautical miles in area, currently is being remediated by placing a minimum 1-m-thick cap of clean dredged material on top of the surficial sediments that are contaminated from previous disposal of dredged and other materials. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to map the sea floor geology of the HARS and changes in the characteristics of the surficial sediments over time.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/fs/2002/fs001-02/index.html
For more information, contact Bradford Butman
Maintained by Eastern Publications Group
Last modified: 18:13:00 Tue 29 Nov 2016
Privacy statement | General disclaimer | Accessibility