The Dredging Contractors of America, formerly the National Association of Dredging Contractors (NADC), is a non-profit trade association that has represented the interests of the U.S. dredging industry and its members for over twenty-six years. The present membership includes nine large dredging companies, eleven small companies, and five associate members that operate on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, the Great Lakes, the inland rivers, and in Hawaii and Alaska.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the Federal agency responsible for the majority of dredging activities in the United States, controlling the permitting process for all projects, as well as planning and design, feasibility analysis, policy, funding and contract administration. The Corps is the industry’s primary customer.  Its actions determine the scope, shape and health of the U.S. dredging industry. Changes in the Corps’ water resources policy, environ-mental restrictions, procurement pro-cedures, funding and legislation impact the viability and profitability of U.S. dredging contractors. Proactive planning is required to assure that the industry is able to meet all the Corps’ dredging needs but also to counteract actions or trends that would have a negative effect on the market.  

The Corps’ contracting policy affords equal opportunity and equal access to information for all contractors. Accordingly, it is difficult for individual contractors to bring policy issues of importance to the Corps in a way that can affect change. The DCA’s chief role, therefore, is to be the instrument by which dredging contractors may have an effective dialogue with their major client. The resulting collective voice provides weight to the issues that affect the industry in general and helps to affect changes that would simply be impossible for individual companies to achieve. 

The DCA has been at the forefront of efforts that include establishment of formal partnering at the highest levels of the Corps and other government entities on issues such as over-depth dredging, emergency response, funding, contractual policy issues, project estimating, and the environment. The DCA has earned the respect of the Corps and other maritime groups for its ability to bring a broad base of industry decision-makers to the table for open and frank discussions of policy issues important to all stakeholders. 

The DCA also serves as a resource of dredging expertise for other maritime industry groups, both in Washington and elsewhere around the country. These groups frequently consult the DCA and its members on mutually important issues, while at other times DCA members are requested to provide input on technical and commercial issues that affect their projects.

The DCA is a member of several organizations and works hand-in-hand with such groups as the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), the National Waterways Conference (NWC), the Maritime Cabotage Task Force (MCTF), and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). Serving on the board of the ASBPA, the DCA is able to remain informed of and influence shore protection issues, as well as provide industry the opportunity to corroborate with local, state, Federal, and private stakeholders. 

The DCA attends and monitors relevant conferences and provides frequent updates to its members on matters of concern to the dredging industry. It also cosponsors several scheduled meetings during the year, including the National Dredging Meeting and the Industry/Corps Hopper Dredge Management Group (ICHMDG) Meetings, and provides input to develop agendas and speakers for these meetings. The association’s annual Congressional Recep-tion on Capitol Hill consistently attracts an impressive list of attendees, including Members of Congress, their staffs, and high-level executives of the Corps of Engineers. At the reception, the DCA presents the William R. Murden Award to an outstanding Corps of Engineers employee who has made significant contributions to the trade. 

Every spring the DCA conducts an annual conference where members can engage in social events and activities with each other and their spouses. The agenda includes meetings of the Association’s subcommittees, as well as their reports to the general membership in a formal meeting. The highlight of the meeting is a presentation by a prominent guest speaker (or speakers) from the Corps whose discussions provide important information and offer DCA members input on strategic issues affecting the dredging industry. The give-and-take opportunities afforded DCA members and these officials prove invaluable in creating mutual under-standing. 

The DCA assists in lobbying Congress on industry issues, the most important of which is authorization and funding for projects. DCA staff works closely with congressional and Corps staff to understand how budget decisions will affect the market, and disseminate that information to association members. Staffers make clear the implications of budget cuts to government decision-makers familiar with the industry. 

If approved by its Board of Directors, the DCA may choose to tackle an issue (such as project funding) on behalf of the general membership. These issues are typically handled by separate subcommittees. If an issue affects only a part of the membership, then a Special Project Group may be formed, the costs of which will be borne by the impacted members. 

In summary, the Dredging Contractors of America provides a full range of association services to its members in order to improve the quality of dredging and to ensure that our Nation’s ports, waterways, wetlands, beaches and barrier islands are efficiently constructed and maintained for the needs of today and the expectations of tomorrow.