Hopper dredger Padre Island gears up for Palm Beach dredging job

The USACE Jacksonville District is about to begin dredging Port of Palm Beach Harbor to support the upcoming Federal Mid-Town Beach Renourishment Project in the Town of Palm Beach.

“Instead of a traditional harbor maintenance project, sand from the harbor’s entrance channel and settling basins will be used directly on the federally authorized Coastal Storm Risk Management project – maximizing efficiency by supporting both navigation and beach restoration at the same time,” USACE said.

About 100,000–150,000 cubic yards of sand will be dredged from the harbor using the hopper dredger Padre Island, which collects sand onboard and transports it to the Mid-Town beach for placement.

Because of this method, no pipeline will be installed in the inlet and no closures are expected, USACE said.

Work in the harbor is expected to take about 30 days, with additional sand coming from offshore borrow areas.