As part of their professional growth and to gain a deeper understanding of USACE operations, ERDC’s Leadership Development Program (LDP) participants recently visited the USACE Vicksburg Districts Dredge Jadwin.
The vessel is a 274-foot, 2400 horse-powered dustpan type dredge that plays a critical role in maintaining safe, navigable waterways on the Mississippi River.
USACE said: “ By connecting with field crews and witnessing river operations up close, the group gained valuable insight into how ERDC’s research supports real-world missions across the Corps .”
Dustpan dredges are unique to the Mississippi River and work to maintain a navigable channel for commercial navigation to move unimpeded.
The Jadwin has a large suction head with high velocity water jets that loosen the silt and sand materials on the riverbed and pump this material through a floating pipeline and is deposited outside the navigation channel near the riverbank.