Dredging the mighty Fraser River

Fraser River Pile & Dredge (FRPD) team is back at work on the Fraser River, maintaining the channel to ensure safe passage for vessels serving local ports.

The project comprises annual maintenance dredging of the deep-sea shipping channel in the lower 36 kilometres of the Fraser River, from Sand Heads (kilometre marker ‑1) to New Westminster (kilometre marker 35).

The dredging will also include the berths and approaches at DP World Fraser Surrey.

According to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, dredging will be conducted using a trailer suction hopper dredge, cutter-suction dredge, clamshell dredges, scows/barges and supplemental equipment.

Dredging the mighty Fraser

The lower reaches of the Fraser River are surrounded by the greater metropolitan area of Vancouver with the waterways and foreshore area forming an integral part of Port Metro Vancouver and British Columbia s economy.

Every year the river dumps 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean with the majority of the deposition occurring during the Spring freshet. As the flow rate subsides the suspended sediments settle in the river system including the 34km long deep sea navigation channel.

In order to maintain the depth required for the deep sea vessels to navigate the channel safely the settled material needs to be dredged.

Since the contract was awarded to FRPD, the company has met the challenges in annually maintaining channel grade in a dynamic river system as well as selling a large portion of the sand to the local construction industry.

Each year both FRPD and the Port Authority are working close together to ensure that dredging is carried out in the priority areas as well as staying within the Port Authority s operational budgets.