Army Corp of Engineers dredging project underway near Breach Inlet

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Boat season is seemingly year-round in the Lowcountry, but it takes a lot of work to keep it that way.

A major dredging project is underway along the Atlantic Intracoastal Water Way. The Army Corps of Engineers is working to remove sand and sediment sitting on the bottom.

Build-up occurs naturally, but over time the water becomes too shallow and unsafe to accommodate all the maritime traffic. Between barges, cargo ships, yachts and recreational boats, there’s a lot of activity between the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

Jeremy Johnson, Project Manager for the Army Corps Charleston District, oversees the dredging near Breach Inlet. He said the goal is to maintain a depth of 12 feet.

“We definitely see cargo ships, not like the big ones we see in the Harbor, but there are barges, smaller cargo ships that deliver material,” said Johnson. “At low tide, there are some trouble spots so that’s what we’re trying to do here today is to clean up some of those trouble areas at low tide so no matter where people travel through the intracostal waterway, they’re safe.”

Dredging Breach Inlet will pump out enough sand and sediment to fill 50,000 dump trucks. By the end of this month, the placement area will be filled with sand, sediment and silt, contained by a large dike. Johnson said eventually, the containment area will be leveled off, built up, and ready for future dredging projects.

The dredging project extends Charleston to Georgetown. In the end, it’ll remove 1.5 million cubic yards of material. The project is expected to be complete sometime in the fall.

_{Source: abcnews4.com}