An enormous dredging project commenced on Thursday in Marina Del Rey Harbor. The works are expected to remove up to 1 million cubic yards of sand from the entrance of the harbor.
The $13-million dredging project is considered vital for the safety of marina traffic. These shallow waters caused by rising sediment and shifting sand trap a number of boats every year.
Brian Hogue, L.A. County Fire Dept , says: “ We get probably 20 to 30 boats in the summertime that will actually run aground, so we’ll go and we’ll have to tow them off”.
Materials excavated from the harbor will be used to provide landfill for the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project in the Port of Long Beach. Cleaner sand will be later used to replenish local beaches from erosion impacts, according to abclocal.go.com.
This project will also save money on transporting sand, which is now loaded onto a barge and moved to neccessary locations instead of being transported by truck.
Federal and county agencies decided to split costs of the $13-million dredging project, which will surely benefit the economy in the long run given that the port expansion is expected to produce about 14,000 jobs.
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Dredging Today Staff, April 6, 2012;