Posted on April 24, 2018
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to conduct Grays Harbor maintenance dredging in the Outer Harbor beginning April 19 with two Corps hopper dredge vessels, Essayons and Yaquina.
The Yaquina will begin April 19 and will dredge through approximately April 22. Dredging will occur in shoaled areas of Pt. Chehalis reach. The goal is to dredge approximately 100,000 cubic yards of material placed in the Pt. Chehalis disposal site north of the south jetty, according to a statement released by the Corps Tuesday.
The Essayons will arrive on or about April 25 and will dredge through approximately May 25. Dredging will occur in shoaled areas of the Bar, Entrance, and Pt. Chehalis reaches. The goal is to dredge approximately 800,000 cubic yards, with 600,000 cubic yards placed in the South Beach beneficial use site. The remaining material will be placed in the Pt. Chehalis disposal site.
The target disposal area within the South Beach beneficial site, just south of the south jetty, is extended to the south, different from the past several years, to accommodate better distribution of the material along the south beach to help with the erosion of the south beach, according to the Corps.
There are many crab pots in the South Beach disposal site and the Army Corps of Engineers is asking fishermen and crabbers to move their equipment to avoid having it damaged. All target disposal and dredge areas need to be kept clear of fishing and crabbing gear during the dredging. Fisherman and crabbers are encouraged to position themselves and their gear at least 300 feet from any channel and disposal area boundary in order to provide a buffer zone to allow for the gear drifting into the area.
Source: South Beach Bulletin
