Abstract
<jats:p>The purpose of this Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) is to describe the equipment and methods available for characterizing sediment and debris located in navigation channels. This overview is intended for US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) district personnel involved in dredging project planning, engineering, design, and operations. The tools outlined in this note include side-scan sonars, multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profiling, penetrometers, and physical sediment sampling, all of which can aid planning for dredging, including beneficial use of dredged material. These tools are particularly relevant at sites that have not been dredged in many years and for new work, including channel deepening.</jats:p>