Viking Marine gears up for St. Joseph Harbor dredging

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, will begin maintenance dredging in the outer harbor of St. Joseph, Michigan, in early July.

Under the project, Viking Marine Construction, LLC., of Holland, Michigan, will dredge approximately 83,000 cubic yards of sediment from the federal navigation channel in the harbor.

The hydraulic dredging will use a submerged pipeline to move sediment a half mile south of the harbor. The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of August.

“Historically, dredging has been carried out along the shore to reduce erosion. This year, the placement will be oriented perpendicular to the shore, forming a peninsula,” USACE said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center said that they are conducting research on this unique placement to better understand how the sediment moves under wave action. This research will use turbidity monitoring, nearshore surveys, sediment sampling, and both drone and land-based video documentation.