September 19, 2024 3:20 a.m.

Douglas County Commissioners Chris Boice, Tim Freeman, and Tom Kress along with Salmon Harbor Marina Harbormaster Jim Zimmer have announced an upcoming dredging project in the East Basin of Salmon Harbor.

A county release said mobilization for the project is expected to begin this week, with dredging activities set to start next week and continue through the first week of October. To facilitate these operations, the East Basin boat launch will be closed to the public during this period. Boaters are advised to use the West Basin launch located at the end of Ork Rock Road.

The dredging will be conducted by The Dutra Group, leveraging their existing contract with the U.S. Coast Guard. This collaboration allows Douglas County to achieve significant cost savings. The release said while the Coast Guard is investing $947,000 to remove 7,000 cubic yards of material, Douglas County is contributing $150,000 to remove an additional 4,000 cubic yards. Had the project been undertaken independently by the county, the estimated cost would have exceeded $765,000, with mobilization alone amounting to $645,000.

The dredging operations will begin in the East Basin near the U.S. Coast Guard and Dock-A and involve several large-scale pieces of equipment.

The start and end dates are approximate and may change depending on weather and tidal conditions.