Posted on May 2, 2017
By Kimberly Cauvel, goskagit
The Port of Skagit has received permission to change the way it dredges the La Conner Marina.
The state Department of Ecology approved the port’s request to use hydraulic dredging and dispose of the sediment at a site in Rosario Strait, off the shores of Anacortes.
Ecology’s permission was needed to ensure the work complies with the state’s clean water regulations, according to Ecology. The port plans to begin dredging in late summer. The port last dredged the marina in 2003.
Port spokesman Andrew Entrikin said hydraulic dredging, which is done using suction equipment, will be more effective than clamshell dredging, a technique the port previously used.
Clamshell dredging required a barge and made it difficult to reach some parts of the marina, he said.
The port will dispose of the dredged sediment in Rosario Strait rather than continuing to take it to Port Gardner near Tacoma to reduce costs, Entrikin said.
The port will be allowed this summer to dredge up to 136,000 cubic yards of sediment from the marina to ensure the water is deep enough for commercial and recreational boats to navigate the area, Entrikin said.
Source: goskagit
