Dredging of Broad Creek nearly complete
by Larry S. Chowning
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| The Broad Creek dredging project should be completed this Saturday, weather permitting. (photos by Bob Walker) |
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| Two pipelines are being used in the project. |
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a contract in November, 2009 to Southwind Construction Corp. of Evansville, Indiana, to dredge the creek.
The contract calls for the company to dredge the channel leading into Broad Creek to a depth of 8 feet and width of 100 feet, said Brown.
The Corps agreed in April 2009 to use $670,000 in federal stimulus money to fund the Broad Creek dredging project.
Over the past several years, the entrance to Broad Creek has slowly filled to the point where some boats have trouble getting through the channel. It also has proven difficult for two boats to pass each other while in the channel.
During the dredging work, two pipelines are running across the property of Norview Marina . One pipeline carries pumped water and dredge material from the creek to the county spoil site where the dredge material is deposited. The other pipeline carries pumped “clean” water from the spoil site back into the creek.
Once dredging is complete, the spoil site will be drained and the pumps removed.
Rainwater discharge from the spoil site will drain into Big Lake.
