State officials led the cleanup of a derelict fleet of vessels and equipment left behind in a neglected section of California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The project, led by the California State Lands Commission, targeted a location known as the Skarry site in Sevenmile Slough, a stretch of water long blighted by rusting, sunken, and abandoned vessels — some of which had been deteriorating in plain sight for over a decade.
“The Delta is one of California’s most vital and cherished waterways, and it deserves to be protected,” said Lieutenant Governor and State Lands Commission Chair Eleni Kounalakis. “These abandoned vessels not only pose environmental and navigational hazards but also threaten the health and safety of nearby communities.”
The cleanup focused on tugboats, barges, and other equipment left behind by Skarry Brothers, a defunct marine construction company that ceased operations without removing its vessels. Michael Skarry, the last known responsible party, died in 2019 without disposing of the firm’s assets, leaving local and state authorities to deal with the aftermath.
Among the removed wreckage were two tugboats, several barges, and multiple workboats and recreational vessels. A previously undocumented sunken vessel and additional debris were discovered during the operation by a dive team.
Law enforcement and regulatory agencies had responded repeatedly to the site over the years, each time incurring public costs without resolution. In 2022, the commission removed the tugboats, the 60' Valiant and the 93' Standard No. 2. This year’s expanded operation completed the effort.
Throughout May and early June, a crew of about 14 workers — including divers, barge operators, and salvage technicians — cleared the waterway. Salvage contractor Global Diving & Salvage, Seattle, removed booms, winches, and other superstructures from the crane barges on site. The equipment was cut into pieces and placed on a materials barge for recycling or disposal.
Two of the smaller barges, including a 40' crane barge Peanut and a 60-80' unnamed deck barge, were lifted from the water and hauled away by barge. The largest barge, the 120' crane barge BD-245, was refloated and towed to the Mare Island Dry Dock, LLC shipyard, Vallejo, Calif., for disposal. Crews also extracted more than 1,000 gallons of previously unknown diesel fuel from the BD-245, averting a potential spill.
“The breadth of this undertaking and its benefit on the Delta and taxpayers is stunning,” said State Controller and Commissioner Malia M. Cohen. “These vessels had been rotting in the water for over a decade. We harnessed our expertise and partnerships to mobilize a seamless removal and restoration operation that enhances public safety, environmental protection, and public access, while saving taxpayer dollars and preventing future incalculable environmental harm.”
In the last two years, the commission has inventoried abandoned commercial vessels throughout the Delta, removed nine high-priority derelicts, and facilitated the cleanup of another 10 through cooperation with vessel owners.
