SPANISH FORT — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is asking residents in Baldwin and Mobile counties to weigh in on how millions of cubic yards of sediment dredged from Mobile Bay's ship channel could be put to better use.

The Corps is hosting two public meetings this week to gather ideas on how dredged material could be better used to benefit coastal habitats and its surrounding communities. One of the meetings took place at the Spanish Fort Community Center, where residents were invited to learn about the Mobile Bay Dredge Assessment and identify places where projects could potentially happen.

Ashley Forwood, a project manager with the Corps' Mobile District, said the goal is to hear directly from residents about where the material should go.

"Essentially, we dredge four to 6 million cubic yards out of that channel every single year, and we do a lot of different things with that dredge material," Forwood said. "But we want to get better about using it beneficially because we have to use 70% of the material that we get out of the channel beneficially by 2030."

This project focuses on Mobile Harbor and the upper Mobile Bay channel, and is part of the Corps' broader dredged material management efforts.

During the meeting, attendees could go over information displayed throughout the center and also complete a short survey using a QR code. The survey asked participants to place a pin on a map, identifying areas that could be well suited for a project using dredged material.

Forwood said the Corps plans on collecting those suggestions, evaluating potential projects and determining which locations could be suitable for future beneficial use.

While the Corps is seeking public feedback, environmental advocates say the meetings are different from the formal public hearings they requested earlier this year.

Cassie Bates, staff scientist with Mobile Baykeeper, said the organization and other community members previously submitted comments requesting a public hearing on the Corps' ongoing maintenance dredging plans and how the agency plans to meet federal beneficial use requirements.

"This is still an ability to engage one-on-one with people," Bates said. "But what we were specifically asking for was a public hearing in regards to the continued maintenance plan with dredge material being excavated from the channel on an annual basis to maintain navigation, and what the Corps' plan is to follow the law about allocation of that material towards beneficial use."

The meetings being held this week, however, focus specifically on identifying potential beneficial use projects rather than the formal hearings that were being requested previously.

Despite the difference, Bates said the meetings provide an important opportunity for residents to bring their concerns and identify areas where sediment could help restore eroding shorelines and coastal habitats.

"I think it's important for community members to be able to share specifically areas that they have an interest in seeing beneficial use of dredge material be put towards," Bates said.

She said that most of the shoreline surrounding Mobile Bay is privately owned, making local knowledge especially important when identifying potential new restoration projects.

"If you know a place that you think needs material, you're seeing marsh sinking, you're seeing land eroding away, come and share that," Bates said. "The board also has a digital option that they're showcasing for people that can't make it. We're gonna make sure that we share that with people, so more voices can help contribute towards developing a project for you."

Forwood said the public's feedback will be compiled and compared with existing ideas to help the Corps identify the best opportunities for beneficial use.