Congressman Alan Lowenthal has helped secure an additional $7.74 million for much-needed dredging of the Queensway Bay channel, which sits at the mouth of the Los Angeles River in Long Beach.
The funding is in addition to more than $5 million already secured by the Congressman and the City of Long Beach for initial dredging work, which is set to begin soon.
All told, the combined funding will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to completely clear a full navigable channel by removing years of sediment build-up from the frequent silting that occurs as debris and sediment flows down and out of the L.A. River.
“ The Queensway Bay channel is a key waterway in our area and keeping it open is critical to the thousands of recreational boaters who rely on it each year,” Congressman Lowenthal said.
Silting in the Queensway Bay channel can negatively impact navigation for vessels launching from Long Beach’s South Shore Launch Ramp, located in the channel. Nearly 10,000 vessels launch from this ramp per year and require a clear channel to safely maneuver, and 600,000 people rely on the channel for transportation and tourism each year.
Dredging must be completed every three to five years to keep the channel clear, but due to the fact that that maintenance dredging was not kept up, the channel has been in danger of silting to the point of becoming impassible by marine craft.
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Press Release