Callan Marine has just announced that they will work from mid-September through October to pump and pipe silt to the Port of Galveston’s 240-acre dredge spoil area on Pelican Island.
“Annual dredging is part of the ongoing maintenance we do to keep the port competitive,” the Port of Galveston said in their latest press release.
“We maintain depths of 40-45 feet – the same as the ports of Houston and Texas City. This enables us to compete with regional ports for business and has allowed us to earn millions of dollars in revenue from lay berthing.”
The cutter suction dredger (CSD) General Eisenhower is assigned to this particular project and will dredge an estimated 135,000 cubic yards of silt from the port.
Months of research, planning and coordination were conducted before the dredging work gets the green light.
The port’s hydrographic contractor surveys the channel twice a year to measure the depths. After that, port’s Operations, Engineering and Construction and Maintenance Departments plan out where and how much silt must be removed. The port also maintains levees in the dredge spoil area to make sure the dredged silt drains properly, said the port.
To minimize impacts to ongoing port activities and revenues, Operations Department coordinates with its customers, ship pilots, etc.