The Army Corps of Engineers’ Seattle District says maintenance dredging is underway near Seattle at Everett Harbor and Snohomish River. Contractor American Construction Co., Inc., is starting in the lower settling basin using a clamshell dredge and bottom dump barges.
The Port of Everett on Port Gardner Bay at the mouth of the Snohomish River, is the third-largest container port in the state of Washington, behind Tacoma and Seattle. With over 2,300 slips it is also the largest public marina on the West Coast and home to a commercial fishing fleet.
Dredging will be performed continuously around the clock for about an anticipated 60 days, to be concluded by Feb. 14, 2027. Plans call for approximately 175,000 cubic yards to be dredged. The primary placement site for dredged material will be at Port Gardner, with a secondary site in Elliot Bay.
The federal channel will remain open to vessels during the dredging operations. All work areas, including the navigation channel and the target placement sites, will be used by the contractor during dredging.
“Boats and gear that drift into the navigation channel and/or target placement/disposal areas may be damaged or destroyed,” the Corps warned in an Oct. advisory statement .
Operators must “slow down and pay attention to rig marking, be cautious and maintain a safe distance from all dredging equipment,” the agency noted.
Fishermen and other recreational boaters are encouraged to position themselves and their gear at least 300 feet from the navigation channel and placement/disposal areas to avoid drifting into the area used by the dredge.
Noise during dredging will be minimal, but can be amplified and travel long distances over water.
