SediMatch Web Tool

What is SediMatch?
SediMatch is a collaborative program of the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture (SFBJV), the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP), and others to bring together the wetland habitat restoration, flood control, and dredging communities to discuss challenges and find mutually beneficial strategies to increase reuse of dredged sediment at habitat restoration sites. Goals are 1) to create healthy habitats while maximizing beneficial reuse of sediment; 2) to develop an easily accessible database where sediment needs can be matched with surplus sediment; and 3) to provide opportunities for collaboration. These three goals combined will help our region keep up with sea level rise and create resilient shorelines. These goals align with and support maximizing beneficial reuse of dredged sediment as described in the Long Term Management Strategy for Placement of Dredged Material in the San Francisco Bay Region (LTMS) Program. In addition, the Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Climate Change Update (BEHGU) identifies and recommends using dredged sediment to accelerate the rate and scale of wetland restoration through sediment supply augmentation.

Link to SediMatch Web Tool

SediMatch and Flood Control 2.0
SediMatch is one element of Flood Control 2.0, an EPA grant-funded project to develop and implement a set of innovative approaches to flood control management along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. The broad local-regional partnership leverages flood control agency resources, San Francisco Estuary Institute’s scientific and technical skills, with regional planning and regulatory agencies to significantly improve the amount, quality, and long-term resilience of Bay Area tidal and seasonal wetlands, beaches and mudflats along major creeks. 

SediMatch is designed to meet goals related to Flood Control 2.0 by creating an easily accessible framework and information source for match-making between restoration projects and navigational and flood protection dredging projects and other "sediment suppliers" that can be implemented throughout the region to meet current and future sediment supply needs.

At a broader scale, data collected through SediMatch has the potential to contribute to the understanding of sediment distribution and movement throughout the estuary system, helping scientists better target their research and assisting managers with decision making related to current and future conditions.

Sediment "Match-Up" Web Tool
The current deliverable of the SediMatch element of the Flood Control 2.0 grant is to develop a Sediment "Match-Up" Web Tool. The SFBJV, SFEI and BCDC together, will develop a database and web interface to match available sediment with opportunities for beneficial re-use, which will eventually be housed on the existing SFBJV and Delta Conservancy Habitat Project Tracking System within EcoAtlas (Project Tracking System). This new tool will be populated with information provided by SFBJV partners, including restoration project managers, flood protection managers and navigation dredging projects from the Dredged Material Management Office database. Data fields will include: project timing; sediment types; volumes needed and availability; types/methods of transport and/or placement; site logistics and profile; permit status; cost; key challenges; and contact information. The SediMatch Database Task Group, comprised of restoration and dredging community members will develop specific fields for the web interface through joint meetings through the fall and early winter of 2015-2016. Once completed, the new data fields and related web infrastructure will be implemented by SFEI and incorporated into the SFBJV Project Tracking System.

SediMatch Database Task Group Members

Over the course of the project, numerous individuals have participated in the SediMatch Database Task Group and provided valuable input on the development of the SediMatch Web Tool:

• John Bourgeois, ESA 
• Don Brubaker, US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Bill Butler, Lind Marine
• Tami Church, Zone 7 Water Agency
• Paul Detjens, Contra Costa County Flood Control District
• Matt Gerhart, State Coastal Conservancy
• Jacyln Gnusti, Bay Planning Coalition
• Brenda Goeden, Bay Conservation and Development Commission
• Dave Halsing, State Coastal Conservancy
• John Lazorik, Valero
• Chad Mason, San Francisco Bay Water Emergency Transit Authority
• Julian Meisler, Sonoma Land Trust
• Carl Morrison, Bay Area Flood Protection Agencies Association
• Ariana Rickard, San Francisco Bay Joint Venture
• Brian Ross, US Environmental Protection Agency
• Sandra Scoggin, San Francisco Bay Joint Venture
• Justin Semion, WRA, Inc.
• Renee Spenst, Ducks Unlimited
• Shelah Sweatt, US Army Corps of Engineers

SediMatch Related Activities and Timeline

• September 1, 2011 - A joint meeting of BCDC’s LTMS community and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture Conservation Delivery Committee explored the topic “Sediment Issues Facing San Francisco Bay.” The purpose of this meeting was to delve further into the sediment issues facing San Francisco Bay and how they relate to habitat restoration projects and where collaboration and coordination with dredging projects would be beneficial. Participants explored the SFBJV Bay Area restoration projects database and examined ways to contribute more information and projects, and identified issues and potential solutions. This meeting facilitated collaboration between restoration and navigation dredging projects.

• July 1, 2012 - San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, EPA Region IX funds Flood Control 2.0, an innovative regional project that integrates habitat improvement and flood risk management at the Bay interface (7/1/2012-11/30/2016).

• June 4, 2013 - SFBJV and BCDC hosted the first focused meeting between dredgers and project managers. The “SediMatch” kick-off meeting was structured as a forum to explain how dredged sediment can raise wetland elevations while helping dredgers with permits and dredged sediment placement opportunities needed to meet the LTMS goals, and to help form possible initial matches. SFBJV and BCDC identified restoration projects that had, or would soon have, permits in place and dredging projects that dredge on an annual basis or would be dredging in 2013. Meeting attendees included representatives of Sears Point, Cullinan Ranch, Antioch Dunes and Van Sickle Island projects, South Bay Salt Ponds, and the Petaluma River Restoration Project. Dredging community attendees included WestPac Energy, Chevron, Valero, the US Army Corps of Engineers and Dutra Dredging. Some matches were initiated through this meeting.

• October 9, 2014 - Members of the dredging community were invited to join a field trip of the Joint Venture Conservation Delivery Committee to visit the Cullinan Ranch and Sears Point restoration projects. While no organized conversation about beneficial reuse was part of the agenda for the visit, this was a pilot effort to gauge interest in future field-based workshops and to develop relationships and potential partnerships. Cullinan Ranch is now permitted to accept dredged sediment and through the presentations and informal conversations, a match was made to get sediment to Cullinan. The field trip was well attended by both sectors and participants indicated additional field trips and collaborative opportunities were welcome.

• November 4, 2014 - The Bay Planning Coalition hosted a workshop on “Challenges & Opportunities to Dredging and Beneficial Reuse.” The Workshop provided an update on current dredging projects, an examination of legislative actions that may affect dredging and disposal, and some of the latest developments in the region-wide effort to increase beneficial reuse. Their panel represented perspectives on the economic, regulatory, and operational challenges associated with dredging in the Bay Area; and the abundant opportunities and positive impact of the beneficial reuse of dredged material in our region. Presentations are available here.

• February 24, 2015 - BCDC hosted a project coordination meeting for dredging and restoration project sponsors to discuss upcoming opportunities for 2015, highlighting Cullinan Ranch, Montezuma Wetlands and Eden Landing.

• November 3, 2015 - SFBJV, SFEI, BCDC and SFEP hosted a kick-off meeting for the SediMatch Web Tool development. The group discussed big picture challenges, brainstormed solutions, identified fields and functionality for the web tool, and identified task group members to further refine the tool development. 

• November 12, 2015 - The Bay Planning Coalition hosted a workshop on “Dredging and Beneficial Reuse.” The Workshop provided an NGO perspective on deep ocean disposal and beneficial reuse, an update on DredgeFest California, and presentations by SFEI and SFBJV on Baylands Goals, sediment needs and the SediMatch project. Presentations are available here.

• January 2016 - Release of Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals (BEHGU) Science Update identifies and recommends using dredged sediment to accelerate the rate and scale of wetland restoration through sediment supply augmentation.

• February 24, 2016 - The SediMatch Database Task Group met to finalize the information required for making a match and reviewed the mockups of the tool interface for Phase 1 development. The Task Group will meet again in June/July 2016 to review and test the draft SediMatch web tool.

• June 8, 2016 - The SediMatch Database Task Group met to review and finalize the Phase 1 tool development. 

• September 30, 2016 - SFBJV, BCDC and SFEI presented the beta version of the SediMatch Web Tool to the Long Term Management Strategy (LTMS) Management Committee Meeting.

• October 1, 2016 - San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, EPA Region IX funds "Healthy Watersheds, Resilient Baylands" project, which includes Phase 2 funding for the SediMatch Web Tool (10/1/2016-7/31/2020).

• January 2017 - Released first version of the SediMatch Web Tool.

• October 1, 2017 - San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, EPA Region IX funds "Preparing for the Storm" project, which includes funding to expand the SediMatch Web Tool to better accommodate upland soils (10/1/2017-9/30/2021).

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