The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) established a goal to reuse 70% of material from dredging operations by 2030 (Coleman 2022). The Savannah River is frequently dredged for navigation by the USACE, which lends a unique opportunity to apply the dredge material to Bird-Long Island. This project’s goal is to evaluate the island before the placement of dredge material and provide design recommendations that inform the effects of dredge on the marsh ecosystem. A series of reports on Bird-Long Island determined that the island's shoreline is rapidly changing. This thesis conducts a refined Suitability Analysis to determine the most suitable areas on the island for dredge placement. The results from the Suitability Analysis and experimental design materialize in the Design Recommendations that manifest Bird-Long Island into a living laboratory. The results inform the widespread application of thin layer placement and beneficial use projects in areas that require increased elevation and stabilization to be resilient to environmental hazards.