USA: Dredging on Newport Harbor Moves Forward

Homeowners along Newport Harbour will have to contend with the noise and lights of dredging crews working around the clock over the next two months, the Daily Pilot reports.

Newport Beach’s harbor resources manager, Chris Miller, told the City Council that dredging crews wouldn’t need to work every night, just nights when tides were high enough.

According to the Daily Pilot report, the crews have to finish their work by June 30, when they lose the chance to dump the dredged soil for new use at the Port of Long Beach, he said.

“We’ve been assured that there’s space for our material,” Miller said. “But I was down at Long Beach harbor today, and it is filling it up rapidly. … I’d rather not push it.”

The dredging project is part of a federal contract handled by the Army Corps of Engineers. The overall project is expected to cost $8.8 million, of which the city is paying $2.5 million.

Federal funds cover $4.3 million, the county is expected to pay about $1 million, and the final $1 million hasn’t yet been funded, Miller concluded.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, May 10, 2012; Image: usace