Dredge Potter about to begin its working season

The St. Louis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Service Base team is making the final preparations for the district’s Dredge Potter to begin its season.

According to USACE, the Dredge Potter ensures a safe reliable navigation channel on the Mississippi River for commerce.

The dredger was originally built in 1932 and is a dustpan dredge.

During operations, the dustpan head is submerged toward the river bottom and water jets stir up the sand gravel on the bottom of the river, which is then vacuumed up and moved through 800 feet of pipe to be discharged somewhere outside the channel.