USA: Water Injection Dredging to Solve Fernandina Harbor Sedimentation Problems

The city marina’s excessive sedimentation problems may be resolved by a low-cost dredging alternative known as water injection dredging.

“Some Europeans call it natural dredging. It returns sediment back to the estuary with a minimum of energy costs” said Robert Semmes of Applied Technology & Management.

According to this dredging method sediments near the river bottom would be mobilized by low pressure and then removed from the marina basin by applying high volumes of water.

Depending on various factors, the cost to dredge and move the spoils will be between $30 and $76 a cubic yard.

According to Semmes other methods for handling the current situation could include a rapid dewatering of sediments and development of a disposal premises at New Island, southwest of the marina.

Semmes recommends considering structural changes to the marina including expansion of the side-tie docks to the north and the marina westward into the deep channel.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, November 29, 2011;