The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Los Angeles District, awarded a $1.8 million contract to CJW Construction, a small business firm from Santa Ana, to dredge material from the South Entrance Channel at Marina del Rey.
CJW Construction will remove approximately 50,000 cubic meters of material in and around the South Entrance Channel. Material will be hydraulically pumped down the beach to Parking Lot 3 on Dockweiler State Beach where the contractor will separate the clean sand from the chemically challenged fine grained material.
The process incorporates hydocyclone technology to produce high quality beach sand that can be used to nourish down coast beaches. Dredged material from this location is typically unsuitable for open water placement or beach disposal, hence the need for a cost effective treatment process. The hydrocyclone technology was produced over several years by a team of state, federal and local agencies, including Heal the Bay. The team was led by USACE and Anchor Environmental, an architect/engineer firm with headquarters in Seattle, Washington.
The application of this technology could change the dredging industry throughout the world, so we’ll be monitoring this project closely, said Jim Fields, Corps project manager.
The Marina del Rey harbor is vital to the safety and security of Los Angeles International Airport and the region with supporting elements of the United States Coast Guard, Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Harbor Department, and the Los Angeles County Lifeguards. Marina del Rey is also home to over 5,000 boaters with everything from recreational boating to commercial fishing and charter operations.
"The County of Los Angeles is excited about the opportunities this project offers in finding a long term solution for removing contaminated sediments in the Marina del Rey harbor south entrance as well as in converting much of that material into clean sand that can be placed on our beaches," said Supervisor Knabe.
Dredging is scheduled to start in late October; project completion is expected in February 2009. For information on other Corps of Engineers projects or to learn more about the Los Angeles District visit our website at www.spl.usace.army.mil