Dredging begins Friday in Grays Harbor

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to conduct Grays Harbor maintenance dredging in the Outer Harbor beginning tomorrow.

The Corps had said in a release that there were many crab pots in the South Beach Disposal Site and the Army Corps of Engineers asked fishermen and crabbers to move their equipment to avoid having it damaged. 

They added that “All navigation channels, target disposal sites and dredge work areas need to be kept clear of fishing and crabbing activity and gear during the dredging, which will conclude on approximately mid-May.”

Fisherman and crabbers were encouraged to position themselves and/or their gear at least 300 feet from any channel and disposal area boundary in order to provide a buffer zone to allow for the gear drifting in to the area. Gear that drifts into the navigation channel, access channel and/or disposal areas may be damaged or destroyed.

The Essayons, which will be doing the work, was set to arrive on Friday was expected to continue dredging for approximately 4 weeks. 

Dredging will occur in shoaled areas of the Bar, Entrance, and Pt. Chehalis reaches. The goal is to dredge approximately 800,000 cubic yards, with 600,000 CY placed in the South Beach beneficial use site. The remaining material will be placed in the Pt. Chehalis disposal site. (See map in attached PDF version.)