Harbor Entrance Dredged, Woodley Island Marina is next

video
play-sharp-fill

HUMBOLDT BAY HARBOR, Ca (KIEM) – After months of waiting and cleaning up mud, the Humboldt Bay Harbor entrance is finally re-opened. But the Humboldt Bay Harbor District still has work to do. They have to figure out how to maintain keeping the entrance open and other issues that may occur.

The US Army Corps of Engineers removed around 1.1 million cubic yards of sediment from the entrance channel. This is after they put emergency precautions in place for shoaling conditions back in January. They have to figure out a solution for cargo and commercial ships to come and go as they please.

“One of the alternatives is to move the channel a little bit closer to the center. What happens is the sand typically drops off right at the end of the jetty. If we moved the channel a little bit more into the center, it potentially wouldn’t be as impacted,” said Larry Oetker, the Executive Director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District.

Local fishermen have seen the harbor get dredged over time. What they’re looking for is a long-term answer.

“Well I mean it’s something that been done for years and years, and it has to be maintained. The fact that it’s gotten to the point that it has now is maybe the bigger issue,” said Tony Sepulveda, a local Commercial Fisherman.

But the Harbor Entrance isn’t the only place in the water that mud builds up. Woodley Island Marina has not been dredged in over ten years.

“Well, I think the long-term solution is just to [continue] to dredge as needed. I know here in the harbor it’s gotten to the point where a lot of these guys are having trouble getting in and out at low tide,” said Sepulveda.

The Humboldt Bay Harbor District will start to clean up the Marina next month. According to them, the project will cost $620,000. They want to take the shallow areas from five feet down to 12.

“It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve entered into a contract. So you’re going to start seeing the barge out in Woodley Island, and there will be some movement of the boats around the island,” said Oetker.

The Harbor District will write a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers asking for assistance to keep the Harbor Entrance open at their meeting on Thursday.

-Paid Advertisement-