The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay (OIPCB) has deployed staff to the Port of Garibaldi dredging project.
Utilizing the State of Oregon owned dredge “The Laura”, Port of Coos Bay staff will dredge the marina and boat launch at the port. The vessel, an Ellicot-360SL swing ladder suction dredge, was purchased by the State in 2015, with the cooperation of the Oregon Legislature and the Governor’s office.
Annual maintenance dredging of the navigational channels is conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to keep shipping channels safe and navigable. However, this annual maintenance dredging by the Corps does not include launch ramps and marinas.
The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is the largest deep water coastal port between San Francisco and the Puget Sound, and as such, has the staff, expertise, and capacity to perform dredging operations for other smaller ports statewide.
Last year, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay partnered with the Port of Alsea to complete dredging in their marina, which is used extensively by recreational users all year round.
“ The Port of Alsea was a priority due to extensive shoaling and years of no maintenance dredging. The Port feared that their marina would become completely unviable, ” said John Burns, Port of Coos Bay CEO.
Currently, dredging projects are selected each year based on severity of need, permitting, and availability of funding. The Port of Garibaldi was selected this season due to having a dredging permit in place and because vessels are currently sitting on bottom at low tide, which prevents vessels from getting underway when the tide is out.
“ We are a small but growing Port, ” said Michael Saindon, Port of Garibaldi Manager , “ keeping the boat basin dredged is critical for the safety of all mariners and can make the difference to our many small business’s ability to be successful. With the help of the Port of Coos Bay and the State-owned dredge, we can keep the port dredged at a reasonable cost and not have to incur debt to keep the Port running.”
The Port of Coos Bay deployed 4 staff to the Port of Garibaldi, mobilizing on October 16th and returning to Coos Bay on December 21st, 2017.
Current estimates indicate that the Port of Coos Bay will need to remove 40,000 cubic yards from the marina, and 15,000 cubic yards from the shipyard. The port is currently exploring other options for dredge material placement, including repair of the upland disposal site in Barview.