Marina Park basin dredging to begin in June

Marina Park basin dredging to begin in June

NEWPORT BEACH—Officials for the Marina Park project said plans to dredge the basin are scheduled to begin in early June.
In an effort to prepare the beach for the future site of a 23-slip, prime contractor Dutra Dredging Co. will dredge to a depth of minus 10, while implementing one scow and one tug in a process officials say may take more than two months. The marina is scheduled for completion in spring 2016.

“We’re permitted up to 42,000 cubic yards,” said Iris Lee, Marina Park’s project manager. “I think it’s going to come in a little less than that.”

The Marina Park project will include a 23,832-square-foot multi-purpose community and sailing program building; a 5,500-square-foot Girl Scout building; a new visitor-serving marina and a 200-foot-long side tie area.

Dutra Dredging completed the dredging for previous Newport Beach projects in the Rhine Channel and the Upper Bay. Comparatively, the Upper Bay had two million cubic yards dredged and approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed from the Rhine Channel.

Newport Beach Harbor Resources manager Chris Miller said workers will dredge five days a week, calling the project “very minor” in relation to previous undertakings.

“We’re really hoping for minimal disruption,” Miller said. “Our dredging projects in years past had scows and tugs at all hours of the day, so that created some challenges. We’re just having one trip in and out.”

The dredging component, which is part of the general fund project, will cost approximately $560,000 including beach replenishment. Dredging is expected to last until late July or early August depending on construction schedule and progress.
“Depending on their productivity, they may want to work on Saturdays,” Miller said. “The way it’s been lined up on paper is that they would dredge during the day and fill up one scow, which would be really easy to do. Then it would be nice if they could take it out, dump it on the portion that’s going to near shore—dump that early evening hours to not disrupt navigation.”

Sand will be dumped and distributed in several places throughout the harbor. The city plans to dispose the sand adjacent to the lifeguard facility on the ocean side of the beach and near shore zone of the ocean. About 5,000 cubic yards will also be dumped at China Cove beach.

Sheet piles are currently being installed to form the shape of the city-owned marina, which will be located off Balboa Boulevard on the Balboa Peninsula. The marina basin should be completed in September. Following the dredging and completion of the basin, construction of the park and adjacent buildings will begin. That process will take about a year and a half before construction can begin on the project’s final phase—building the marina.

“We’ve been talking about Marina Park for many, many years,” Miller said. “The fact that we’re actually carving out land to create a marina is wonderful. I don’t know if that’s been done lately. I’m really excited.”

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