Posted on November 4, 2024
LUCERNE >> Lars Ewing, Public Services director appeared at the Central Region Town Hall October 21 providing a brief update on the dredging of the Lucerne Harbor intended for later in the fall.
Ewing confirmed the Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Marz Engineering out of Ukiah, at the beginning of October. The tentative date of harbor dredging is slated for November 4. “Prior to that you may see some activity out in the harbor as we get the harbor prepped for the dredging,” Ewing said. “They need to place a turbidity curtain.”
The devise is a floating barrier used in marine dredging projects, to contain the dispersion of sediment, which is suspended during dredging and is deployed to protect the environment and can also aid in the proper operation of pumps to increase the effectiveness of silt and runoff.
Ewing noted the Nov. 4 date is contingent on first getting the turbidity net deployed. It has already been ordered from a Florida vendor and is due to be shipped soon. Also needed are travel monitors and archeological monitors, because they are under contract with the tribal communities in order to retain any cultural artifacts that may be unearthed.
Key navigation considerations could include; lights, buoys, flags, and barrier systems, employed to delineate safe paths and indicate areas of work, as well as using maritime radio communication. In addition, in areas of heavy traffic, dredging operations could require adjustments to waterway traffic patterns, which ensure that commercial and recreational traffic can coexist safely with dredging activities. Monitoring at times has included sonar, to check positions of vessels relative to the dredging equipment to manage traffic efficiently. And on occasion escort vessels have been used to guide other watercraft safely past the dredging site.
Water sampling is also expected to be done and the duration of the project is expected to be two to three weeks noted Ewing. “The permit we have with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife was to narrow operations to no earlier than mid-October until December 31. “We can’t extend beyond that (according to Fish & Wildlife) but we don’t think that’s going to occur,” he said. There is a possibility if the amount of artifacts discovered is large, they may have to go past Dec. 31, but all signs indicate that will not be the case. he noted.
Marz Engineering was the low bidder, coming in at $211,000. During public comment one question from the CRTH council inquired if the project included new boat slips. Total funds are $330,000 Ewing noted. But while the contractors bid comes in way below that, they also have to cover the travel monitor costs. “That will depend on how long the project takes,” Ewing cautioned. “We will do as many improvements as we can with the remaining money.”
Yet another question inquired about if the last time the harbor was dredged in back the 1970s. Ewing confirmed there has never been a maintenance dredging, just the original initiative when the harbor was constructed. Yet CRTH also asked if funding includes construction of an actual concrete boat launch pad. The budget they have will not pay for that, yet the county has prioritized maintaining existing boat launches. As for the existing boat ramps they still lack a conditional assessment as well as operational assessment. But it is now a good opportunity to update the BOS and he’ll take department needs to provide feedback to the board.
District 3 Supervisor E.J. Crandell noted the board is considering hiring a contractor to coordinate all the different department needs so they have that in one place. That could provide a chance for collaboration between the departments and they will know who is working on what. Even if there is a change in individual department staffs, there will be plenty of opportunity for following up with plans already in place.
“I am preparing a capital improvement plan,” Ewing disclosed. But that should offer ample opportunity to take a second look at evaluating grounds, gutters parks and landfill.
