USA: Crescent City Harbor Dredging Nears Completion

Most of the dredging in the Crescent City Harbor has been undertaken and a majority of the temporary docks have been positioned according to Richard Young, Crescent City Harbormaster.

”They’re about 99 percent in,” Young said about the docks. “People are docked up to them and the fishermen have got a place to tie.”

When a tsunami triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake in Japan, ruined the harbor in March, it was at first uncertain whether the harbor would be up and running in time for the crab season starting December 15.

More than 75,000 cubic yards of washed-in sediment had to be dredged or removed from the inner boat basin. Since boats could get stuck in the sediment, leaving the debris was not an option. Ever since mid-September, an excavator on a barge have been removing the unnecessary silt.

Young stressed that there are now spots for about 80 boats in the harbor since the Crescent City Harbor District officials have directed their activities towards protecting the livelihoods of local fishermen and ensure the fishermen have a place to dock this winter.

”The dredging in the inner boat basin is completed,” Young said. “It’s down to its full design depth.”

Although some additional dredging is required to be done, engineer Ward Stover said that more than 120,000 yards of sediment was removed from the inner boat basin that is to be followed by the next big step that encompasses the inner boat basin reconstruction project planned to be initiated in the spring.

As Stover stated the $35 million project will incorporated installation of new dock in the harbor, replacement of metal pilings and rebuilding of the rock slope around the basin. The final plan for the inner boat basin was approved by the Crescent City Harbor Commission said Young and bids for the project will be requested soon.

Rebuilding of the harbor still requires 6.25% of the costs. According to Young, a few million dollars will be needed in order to complete the project. Commissioners will try to gain help through the state’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

He also noted that the harbor is available to the local fishermen although some of the fleet has headed to San Francisco for the season because it has already been delayed on the North Coast from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15.

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Dredging Today Staff, November 23, 2011;