Santa Cruz Dredging Kicks Off

Dredging of Santa Cruz’s north harbor in California is scheduled to begin today using the Port District’s 8″ dredge Squirt.

According to a Santa Cruz Harbor official announcement, the dredging permit window ends on February 28, 2020, for fine-grained material, and continues through April 30, 2020, for sandy, coarse-grained material.

“Dredging of the harbor is required because of the constant easterly movement of sand along our coast and thus, across our harbor entrance. Such movement is generated by the ongoing forces of waves and currents,” the statement reads.

“The amount of material moved and deposited is directly proportional to the severity of current and wave conditions. This constant movement of masses of sand is termed littoral drift.”

Dredging of the federal entrance channel is scheduled to begin on November 4 in accordance with established regulatory permit work windows.