The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with local sponsor Port of Everett, is to begin maintenance dredging of the lower channel of the Snohomish River, starting at the Port of Everett Marina downstream to Everett’s Seaport in Port Gardner Bay.
Contractor HME Construction, Inc., of Vancouver, Wash., begins work Oct. 19, using clamshell dredging to remove 70,000 cubic yards of material and place it in the Port Gardner Open Water Disposal Site. The $1.1 million project is expected to be done mid-February.
The Corps’ Seattle District Dredged Materials Management Office implements the interagency Dredged Material Management Program in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington state departments of Ecology and Natural Resources. These four agencies collaboratively work to manage and regulate disposal of dredged material from dredging projects in Washington state.
Prior to dredging, the material is tested and the Corps prepares a biological evaluation in accordance with the Endangered Species Act. The Corps assures full compliance with the act prior to starting, and potential impacts are avoided through implementing timing restrictions designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Boaters in the area should slow down, pay attention to rig markings and be cautious around the operations.
Release no. 15-040