Around the world, siltation of marinas and
harbors is becoming a serious issue. This poses a threat to
the operation of marinas and harbors throughout the world and has
caused several in the United States to close
temporarily or go of out business permanently. The problem
is that marina operators wait too long to obtain dredging permits
and eventually marina access channels are paralyzed with silt
deposits and dock slips are so shallow that boat hulls are being
damaged. What is the solution? Implementing a routine
maintenance dredging program will insure year-round access to a
marina and keep all of the clientele satisfied with their
investment and, more importantly, will make sure that they don't
move their vessel to a neighboring marina.
What do I do with the dredge spoils?
This is a problem faced by many marina operators who
obtain their dredging permits. They can dredge, but they don't
know what to do with their spoils. Many marinas build containment
cells in adjacent empty lots or parking facilities. This method is
the most common route, but many times it is not the most
practical. Obtaining the permits to dredge may be the easy part, but
depending on you geographical locale, you marina may have strict
regulations on where you can discharge the dredged material. Over
the years, contractors have employed three viable solutions
to disposing of their dredged material when conventional containment
cells were not an option, including:
Beach Re-nourishment - When dredging sand
from a marina, it is possible to obtain permits to dredge onto
nearby beach front property. This method of disposing of the
dredge spoils is beneficial to the beach's health in that it will
help prevent erosion and it will serve as a flood or tidal barrier.
Geo-Textile Tube Filling - This method
involves connecting your dredge discharge line directly to a port on
a synthetic-made containment bag. The operator may then dredge
directly into a bag, filling it, and then dredging into another bag while
the first bag is dewatering. Once the water has filtered out
of a bag, it may be filled again until its solids capacity has been
met. The bag may then be torn open and used as a landscaping
berm or levy. The bag may also be hauled away to a disposal
area.
Barge Disposal - When all else fails,
pumping directly into one or several floating barges becomes an
option. The material may then be floated downstream to a
permitted disposal area where it can be pumped out or, in the case
of a hopper barge, disposed of in open water if permits are
obtained.
Do I have to shut down my marina?
This is a very common question and the answer may vary
depending upon the dredging equipment being used. If you are
dredging with a cable-driven dredge, then it will not be possible
to have boat traffic in your marina, so it will have to shut down until
dredging ceases. If you are using an IMS dredge, equipped with the
patented STARWHEEL DRIVE self-propulsion system, then all recreational
and commercial boating activities may continue while dredging is in
progress.
The advantage of using a VERSI-DREDGE is that it is a cable-free
transportable dredging system comprised of two independently-driven
paddle wheels that propel the dredge when on the surface and when
lowered to the bottom of the water body for positive traction.
STARWHEEL DRIVE self-propulsion slows the dredge operator to easily
maneuver into boat slips and dredge without interruption to boat traffic.
Contractor-Proven
John Melichar, owner of Great Lakes Harbor
Management of Traverse City, Michigan, purchased an IMS Model 4010
VERSI-DREDGE. In just one season, John's VERSI DREDGE® dredged three
marinas in Northern Michigan, including: Village North Port Marina (beach
re-nourishment), East Bay Harbor (beach re-nourishment), and Harbor West
Yacht Club (geo-textile tubes). At Harbor West Yacht Club, John's
VERSI DREDGE® dredged 158 dock slips, accumulating 9,000 cubic yards of material
into geo-textile bags. "They would have had to close the
marina if we did not have an IMS self-propelled dredge, because boat
traffic would not have been able to move around with a cable dredge,
" says John. Not only was John impressed with the
self-propulsion feature of the VERSI-DREDGE, but the easy-to-operate
joy-stick controls and high-volume dredge pump also made his operation
run smoother.
Start Planning Now!
Keep an eye on water levels in your marina every 6
months and plan ahead when you think that you will need to dredge.
Seek permits before your marina becomes silted in and you will stay in business.
For more information on marina dredging solutions, contact an IMS
representative at:
