Posted on August 31, 2026
ST. LOUIS — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District’s Dredge Potter returned to the water last week following routine dry dock maintenance and has begun its 2026 dredging season on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
The vessel helps maintain the navigation channel used by commercial traffic moving through the region. River currents naturally move and deposit sand throughout the river system, creating shallow areas that can reduce the depth of the navigation channel. Dredging removes this accumulated material so commercial vessels can continue to move safely and efficiently.
In 2025, the Dredge Potter removed approximately 4.7 million cubic yards of river sand from 36 locations along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
During this season’s routine dry dock maintenance, crews completed repairs and inspections on the 240-foot-long, 46-foot-wide vessel, including repairs to the dustpan ladder, wheels, shafts, rudder and hull, as well as overhauls of the propulsion gearbox and skin coolers.
With its return to the river last week, the 94-year-old Dredge Potter is staffed by 52 employees divided among three watches, or shifts. The rotating schedule allows the vessel to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the dredging season. Crew members live and work aboard the vessel while maintaining the navigation channel and supporting the safe movement of commercial traffic.
“Initial surveys show the navigation channel is in better condition than we see in most years, so even with a later-than-normal start, I expect the Potter to keep pace with dredging demands,” said Lance Engle, dredging project manager. “In addition to routine channel maintenance using the traditional side-casting pontoon pipeline, we plan to use the flex pipe for some assignments, allowing us to place dredged material in specific locations to help create temporary ephemeral island habitats.”
Ephemeral island habitat consists of temporary sand islands created from dredged material that provide habitat for plants and wildlife while they remain above the waterline.
The Potter removes accumulated river sand from the navigation channel and transfers the material through a pipeline to locations elsewhere in the river. Depending on project needs and conditions, the material may be placed outside the navigation channel or used to help create temporary island habitat for plants and wildlife.
