The sampling of polluted maintenance dredgings during the different stages of a typical dredging and disposal operation presents a variety of difficult problems, and the results of tests on so-called representative samples must be evaluated with due regard for the manner in which the samples ere obtained. Described in this paper are the techniques employed and the special equipment developed to sample bottom sediments, materials from the hopper of a dredge, slurries from a discharge pipe, and soft materials from a partially consolidated hydraulic landfill; of special interest is the experience with lightweight, manually operated piston samplers in soft fills. Some appreciation for the variability of samples is given, and suggestions for improvements are advanced.