USA: Snohomish River Dredging Begins

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor is scheduled to begin Snohomish River federal navigation channel maintenance dredging today.

American Construction Company will remove up to 127,000 cubic yards of material from the channel by clamshell dredging. The Corps’ Seattle District awarded a $1.25 million dredging contract to the Tacoma-based company. The project is expected to be completed by Feb. 15.

The Corps began maintenance dredging of the Snohomish River Project in 1910. The project, consisting of deep and shallow-draft navigation channels and two settling basins, serves the Port of Everett.

In December, Portable Hydraulic Dredging, Inc., from Eagle Creek, Ore., completed hydraulic dredging operations started in October to remove nearly 180,000 cubic yards of material from the upstream and downstream settling basins.

Prior to dredging, material is tested and the Corps prepares a biological evaluation in accordance with the Endangered Species Act. The Corps assures full compliance with the act prior to starting and potential impacts are avoided through implementation of timing restrictions designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Whenever possible, dredged material is beneficially used to restore, protect or create aquatic and wetland habitats. The Seattle District’s Dredged Materials Management Office implements the interagency Dredged Material Management Program in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington state departments of Ecology and Natural Resources. These four agencies collaboratively work to manage and regulate disposal of dredged material from dredging projects in Washington state.

No restoration projects are currently ongoing so material from this project will be disposed of following Environmental Protection Agency procedures at approved offshore sites. During the earlier hydraulic dredging operations 100,000 cubic yards was provided for beneficial use by the City of Everett and 79,000 cubic yards of material beneficially nourished two Port of Everett’s Jetty Island areas.

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Press Release, January 21, 2013