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ERDC TN-DOER-E10
April 2000
Description of the SSFATE
Numerical Modeling System
PURPOSE: This technical note describes the numerical modeling system SSFATE (Suspended
Sediment FATE), which is being developed to compute suspended sediment fields resulting from
dredging operations. Both theoretical aspects of the computations made within SSFATE and
application aspects of the shell-based personal computer program are discussed.
BACKGROUND: SSFATE was developed in response to a need for tools to assist dredging project
managers confronted by requests for environmental windows. Environmental windows, intended
to protect biological resources or their habitats, are requested during the interagency coordination
process for dredging projects (Reine, Dickerson, and Clarke 1998). In many cases, decisions
regarding environmental windows must be based on limited technical information because potential
impacts are linked to a host of site- and project-specific factors. For example, navigation dredging
operations in different reaches of the same waterway may pose risks to different resources, or
potential impacts may vary dependent on the type of dredge plant involved. Few tools exist to
evaluate such concerns early in the environmental window negotiation process. Consequently, a
general inability to address "What if" questions associated with given dredging project scenarios
tends to ensure that recommended environmental windows are conservative, and perhaps over-
restrictive (Reine, Dickerson, and Clarke 1998).
Some of the most frequently asked "What if" questions during dredging project coordination are
related to resuspension and dispersion of sediments at the dredging site. Suspended sediments are
a primary concern of resource agencies, as exposure of aquatic organisms to elevated suspended
sediment concentrations is perceived to be a major source of detrimental impact. Likewise,
redeposition of suspended sediments can be a significant concern if sensitive bottom-dwelling
organisms (e.g., oysters or sea grasses) are present in the vicinity of a dredging project. Accurate
information on the spatial dynamics of dredge-induced suspended sediments is therefore a critical
necessity in establishing the overall need for protective windows.
Environmental windows are associated with a majority of dredging projects in many U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Districts (Reine, Dickerson, and Clarke 1998). However, presently available
modeling tools for predicting suspended sediment behavior were not designed with environmental
windows negotiation in mind. For logistical reasons, models that require complicated, extensive
hydrodynamic databases, grid building, or high-end computer support are not suitable. These models
are more appropriate for large, controversial projects. Clearly, funding constraints alone would
hinder application of expensive numerical models to the evaluation of numerous environmental
windows.
To be truly effective as a dredging project management tool with respect to windows, models should
be capable of running multiple simulations in a relatively short span of time so that a number of
alternative dredging scenarios can be evaluated to determine those with the least probabilities of

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