Izzo to Chair Wetlands and Sediment Management Committee

Call for Members

At its last meeting, the COPRI governing Board approved a recommendation to establish a Wetlands and Sediment Management Committee to replace the Wetlands and River Restoration Committee. The purpose of the Committee will be to study and disseminate information on techniques for wetland restoration, creation, protection and management and for managing sediments in or removed from coastal or inland projects. Techniques will consider potential environmental impacts and economics. "Sediment management" includes managing sediments on a technically sound regional basis and considering sediments from projects as a resource that can be put to a productive and beneficial use. The committee interacts with engineers, scientists, and other professionals involved in the practice, research, policy, regulatory, legal, and educational aspects of the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations of wetland projects and other projects (such as dredging) that require management of the sediments.

Dominic Izzo, of DMJM+HARRIS, will serve as the Committee Chairman.  Dom is well-known nationally for his tenure as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army from 2001-2002 and presently is responsible for the Marine Business Line of DMJM+HARRIS on the Gulf Coast.  In this position he is the principal-in-charge for the design of the restoration of Whiskey Island on the Louisiana coast, a project that will dredge material offshore to restore a barrier island to help protect Louisiana’s disappearing wetlands.  He was also instrumental in organizing the America’s WETLAND Technical Summit in New Orleans in October 2003.  This ASCE-sponsored event brought together experts from all over the country and internationally to highlight the technical challenges and opportunities for restoring the Louisiana coast.  The Technical Summit concluded that “The challenges faced in dealing with coastal restoration will require the talents of economists, political scientists, geographers, biologists, ecologists, and a number of other disciplines. . . . Engineers and scientists need to be equal team partners in the development of the program.”  This conclusion will have direct applicability to this new Committee.

In his article, “Reengineering the Mississippi,” which appeared in the July issue of Civil Engineering magazine, Dom noted that “Engineers will have to integrate the life sciences into their project planning to create a working ecosystem as they modify the river’s hydraulics and many of the structural features that protect it. The mission is to preserve the economic and environmental engine that is the

Izzo testifying on behalf of ASCE before a Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee, March 2004.

Mississippi basin; but returning the basin to wilderness is not an option. Instead, the infrastructure must be re-engineered to simultaneously accomplish multiple goals: maintain navigation and flood control, and restore the ecosystem of the river and its delta.”

“I am delighted that ASCE through COPRI is positioning itself to take a stronger role in regional sediment management, beneficial use of dredged material and the integration of wetland restoration and preservation into engineering practice,” stated Izzo. “I believe that this committee, working with others, can lead this effort and make a real difference in generating cooperative conservation.  I am looking for energetic people, engineers and non-engineers, to join the Committee.  If you are interested, please contact me at dominic.izzo@dmjmharris.com.”