The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin dredging Depoe Bay, Ore. to remove 2,000 cubic yards of material between September 13 and the end of the month. The work will take place for seven to 14 days and is an effort, with the City of Depoe Bay, to clean out the sediment catch basin.

Sediment catch basin (above)

Regular dredging, which happens every eight to 10 years depending on funding, will keep the boat basin clear (the boat basin catches sediment coming down the river and acts like “grease trap”). The upland site is on private property and located about two miles from the work area. The Corps previously cleaned out the catch basin in 2005.

The Corps used the National Environmental Policy Act to complete a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (available here: SEA and Finding of No Significant Impact) and partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize effects of the project on the environment.

The Depoe Bay federal project is a boat basin located in a small inlet off the Pacific Ocean and a check dam on South Depoe Bay Creek, in Depoe Bay, Lincoln County, Ore. The harbor has 85,000 pounds in fish landings valued at $72,323 (2010) per year, 16,000 commercial and 15,000 recreational crossings per year, is home to a U.S. Coast Guard Station and is a critical harbor of refuge.

Check dam (above)