Dredging is scheduled to begin next week in Baker Bay to remove shoaling that the U.S. Coast Guard identified as a hazard to their ability to perform rescue operations at the Columbia River Bar.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $683,550 contract on March 9, to Vancouver, Wash.-based small business HME Construction, Inc. to remove 83,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Ilwaco Channel. Work is scheduled to begin March 26; it is expected to take about 30 days to remove the material.
The Coast Guard contacted the Portland District in late January with concerns about the shoal and its impact on the agencys Search and Rescue mission. Due to the urgent and compelling nature of the channels condition, dredging must be done outside the normal in-water work period. The dredging project was coordinated with state and federal regulatory agencies including the Washington Department of Ecology, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Project plans are designed to minimize environmental impacts to the greatest extent possible.
[mappress] Dredging Today Staff, March 20, 2012;