Norfolk’s dredge Essex working in Wilmington (PHOTO)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District has just released this beautiful photo of the 24″ cutterhead dredge Essex working in Wilmington Harbor, North Carolina.

According to the Corps, Norfolk Dredging Company-owned Essex and her crew are conducting maintenance dredging operations under USACE Wilmington Harbor project.

The work involves dredging 600,000 cubic yards of sediment from the 38 and 35-foot federal navigation channel near the mouth of the Christina River.

Dredging is required to a depth of 35′ MLLW (Datum) plus 1′ allowable overdepth from station 0+000 to station 1+650 and to a depth of 38′ MLLW (Datum) plus 1′ allowable overdepth from station 1+650 to station 6+236.

The removed sediment is being pumped to USACE-owned dredged material disposal facilities along the river.