Photo of the day: Hopper dredger Wheeler in drydock at Alabama Shipyard

The USACE New Orleans District said that the anchor and anchor chains of the hopper dredger Wheeler received a new coat of paint after regular inspections while in drydock at the Alabama Shipyard earlier this week.

The Wheeler is operated by the District, and is the largest hopper dredger in USACE.

According to USACE, the Wheeler helps keep waterway channels clear from Key West, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas, but spends the majority of its time operating in the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River in Louisiana.

This vessel is a trailing suction hopper dredger. It operates much like a giant vacuum cleaner.

Also, it is uniquely designed with three large drag arms and an impressive pumping capacity. To dredge a channel, the drag arms are lowered over the side to the channel bottom. 

On a good operating day, the Wheeler can remove 100,000 cubic yards of material, or about 7,000 dumptruck loads, from a project site, USACE said.