The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay and the Port of Siuslaw have partnered to complete dredging at the Port of Siuslaw inner boat basin.
The basin has collected sand and silt to a point where some slips were unusable for the commercial and recreational fleet or are only accessible during high tide. Inadequate depth in the marina has also caused damage to dock infrastructure, the Port of Coos Bay said in its release.
The dredging project alleviates these challenges by removing approximately 12,000 cubic yards of sediment from the marina, enabling boats to navigate and access slips safely and efficiently.
“Dredging is of dire importance to Oregon’s public ports as drivers of economic development,” said David Huntington, Port of Siuslaw Manager. “This is a project that benefits our marina customers, the waterfront environment, and our entire community.”
“As the stewards of the state dredge it is important to us to ensure safe navigation throughout Oregon,” added Brandon Collura, Charleston Marina Harbormaster . “I’m proud of the partnerships we have built and the work our team is doing to carry out the project thus far.”
As stewards of the dredge equipment, the Port of Coos Bay takes ownership of all maintenance and operation of the state dredger Laura and her tender Ms. Soco for each dredging project.
Since the acquisition of the dredging equipment, the state has helped reduce the cost of dredging in marinas for Oregon ports, allowing smaller ports like the Port of Siuslaw to remain safe and viable.