Bumper Season for Dredge Hurley

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District’s Dredge Hurley has returned to its home port of Ensley Engineer Yard in Memphis Harbor.

According to the Corps, the arrival of Dredge Hurley marks the end of the two most productive dredging seasons in the vessel’s history.

Memphis District Commander Col. Zachary Miller and other district officials were on hand on Monday, Dec. 9, to welcome the crew back after a deployment on the Lower Mississippi River of more than six months.

Col. Miller said that the Hurley dredged more than 12.5 million cubic yards of material from the river this year, ensuring safe navigation for commercial traffic.

For the record, 12.5 million cubic yards is equivalent to the capacity of about 3,788 Olympic-size swimming pools.

The Hurley will remain in Memphis over the winter for upkeep and maintenance before beginning another dredging season next year.

The Hurley is a 353-feet-long self-propelled dustpan dredge built for the Army Corps in 1993. It can dredge to a depth of 75 feet and discharges material outside the navigation channel through a 32-inch diameter pipeline.