Posted on May 3, 2018
By Ian Thompson, Daily Republic
Suisun City could see dredging start as early as late this year if the city gets the permits it needs and gets Pierce Island ready to accept dredging spoils in time.
The City Council was generally pleased with the update Tuesday on plans to dredge the Suisun marina and Whispering Bay that have already been delayed for a year.
Council members were told the city could get the permit approvals it needs from state agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, possibly within a month.
It also plans to put out a request for separate bids to build up Pierce Island levees and to do the dredging.
The city put out a request for bids last year that combined the two parts of the project and only got one bid that was significantly higher than city officials expected.
This time, putting out the Pierce Island levee work separately may save money because general contractors can bid for it. The contract for the dredging is more highly specialized, requiring bids from dredging companies.
The part of the project that drew the most council interest was the plan to put up to 200 goats on Pierce Island to cut back the vegetation.
Suisun City has already put out feelers to goat herd owners about whether or not they would be interested in barging their goats over to the island as early as early June.
The goats would be protected by temporary fencing as they clear out about 25 acres of vegetation.
City Councilwoman Jane Day was the most supportive of using the goats, calling it novel and asked if they could be used in other parts of the city that had been overgrown by weeds.
While Day was told using the goats elsewhere would not be as cost-effective as on Pierce Island, city staff said they would examine the possibility.
Source: Daily Republic
