Riverside County supervisors have approved an aggregate $1.79 million in expenditures for a project to clear the Salton Sea north marina of dirt and debris to make the channel usable again by boaters who dock at the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club, the KESQ News Channel 3 reports.
On a 4-0 vote, the Board of Supervisors established the budget for the North Marina Dredging Project and signed off on professional services agreements tied to the enterprise.
The first phase will involve environmental studies conducted by La Quinta-based Dudek, whose biologists and technicians will analyze the effects of dredging on marine life, the impact of returning some of the water siphoned out of the sea during cleanup and water quality issues that could arise during and after the project.
Dudek’s work will cost about $141,000 and should begin in September.
According to KESQ News, it is expected that 17,000 cubic yards of muck will need to be suctioned out of the marina, covering about a 6.5-acre space.