The dredging project for Swinomish Channel

It’s reported that the state Department of Ecology is taking public comment on plans to dredge the Swinomish Channel.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposes dredging up to 400,000 cubic yards of sediment from the channel — which separates Fidalgo Island from the mainland of Skagit County — every four to six years through 2033.The last time the channel was dredged was in 2014, Dallas Edwards of the corps’ Seattle District said.Ecology is responsible for issuing permits for those types of projects under the federal Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act.Sediment from the Skagit River delta south of the channel and Padilla Bay to the north builds up in the 11-mile channel, according to the corps’ permit application. In order to maintain safe passage for all boats during all tide levels, the Swinomish Channel must occasionally be dredged.

The dredging proposed by the corps would be done between mid-July and mid-February to avoid impacting wildlife, including threatened chinook salmon, and could take up to 150 days each time it is done. The permit would authorize dredging through 2033.

The news is collated by Globaldredge.com – Dredging Pipeline Supplier.