All set for Jurien Bay dredging works

Maintenance dredging works at Jurien Bay Boat Harbour are set to commence any day now, announced the Department of Transport WA.

Initially scheduled to begin in December, the Jurien Bay dredging campaign was postponed until mid-January.

During the works which are expected to last until approximately late-May 2023, around 40,000 cubic metres of material will be dredged from the entrance and deposited offshore in a natural seabed depression.

According to DoT, dredging will mainly occur Monday to Saturday between the hours of 0700 and 1800hrs, with provision to take place on Sundays and overnight, if required.

The works are being carried out by the 18m cutter suction dredge “Mudlark I”, equipped with 1.2km of floating & submerged pipeline marked with yellow buoys, displaying rhythmic flashing lights, DOT said.

Approximately every 2 years, DoT conducts maintenance dredging at the boat harbour to remove accumulated marine sand and seagrass and to restore navigable depths for vessels that use the harbour.

Dredging campaigns completed prior to 2020, included placing of dredged material in a designated area north of the harbour. As a more sustainable solution, DoT is now returning the dredged material offshore into a natural seabed depression.