USACE officials tour Dredge Essayons

San Francisco District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Commander Lt. Col. Timothy Shebesta and staff embarked on a tour of the Dredge Essayons recently to see the ship and its mission in their area.

The Essayons recently completed dredging the San Francisco Harbor Main Ship channel and is currently dredging the Richmond Outer Harbor channel.

The Richmond Outer Harbor and San Pablo Bay channels are a vital thoroughfare for commercial vessels traveling to and from refineries located adjacent to the federal channel, said USACE.

Portland’s hopper dredges, Yaquina and Essayons, work to ensure a safe “highway” for ships and other vessels.

The hopper dredge is a specialized sea-going vessel designed to dredge and transport dredged material from ocean bars, fast flowing rivers, and isolated harbors to open-water disposal areas, working similarly to a vacuum cleaner.