During the next few weeks, Manson Construction Company will be dredging the entrance to Ventura Harbor as well as the sand trap, located to the West of the channel, and the inner harbor stub channel to the Ventura Keys.
Currently, the dredge is moving approx. 30,000 cubic yards of sand daily, which will assist to replenish harbor beaches effected by winter storms. The sand will be placed on the beach between the South Beach Groin and the Santa Clara River Mouth.
The Ventura Harbor entrance channel and sand trap require annual maintenance dredging in order to ensure that vessel traffic can safely access the harbor and its maritime support facilities.
The need for the dredging results from the down coast movement of an average of about 600,000 cubic yards of sandy material each year which is deposited by littoral processes in the sand trap and entrance channel.
If this material is not dredged and deposited on the down-coast beaches, the harbor entrance can become unsafe for vessel navigation and the beaches are not adequately renourished.