how much does it cost to hire a small dredge

There are only three small scows on the west coast available to rent and demand for them is very high. “The scows are virtually impossible to find…They are in extremely short supply.” “They have the barge and they can get the tug, but they just can’t find the scow,” Miller said. “So the very nature of (this type of dredging project) attracts smaller contractors,” he said.īut, none of the small contractors who could do that kind of work own a small scow, Miller said. It’s not worth it for their business, Miller noted.

“You need it on a much smaller scale,” Miller noted.įor residents doing that type of project, the “big guys” aren’t going to come in to dredge such a small amount. The problem is that neither the city nor the small contractors have the all capital equipment required to take care of that need, Miller said.īigger companies often own a fleet of large scows, which can be used to work on the main channels in the harbor, but dredging in between slips for only a few hundred cubic yards does not require that size of equipment.

There are three parts to this type of dredging project, Miller explained: The barge, a floating platform for an excavator a tugboat to push the dredge around and to pull the scow out to the sea and the scow itself, the container that holds the dredged material. If it’s fine silts and clays, it is required to be dumped at sea. If the grain size of the dredged material underneath the slip is determined to be suitable for beach replenishment, it’s a simple project. There are approximately 1,200 residents along the harbor and many need to dredge small amounts around their slips, but exactly how many is the “million dollar question to the equation.”Ī percentage of those residents can just transfer the material onto the beach (after going through the proper process). Miller suggested the city contract a marine company to maintain the scow. Painting and taking anti-corrosion measures could be approximately $15,000 to $20,000 per year. The city also needs to take into account the reoccurring costs for maintenance, Miller pointed out. “This proposal is to satisfy the need for our residential dredging needs,” Miller said.Ī few of things to consider include the initial capital investment, which could cost between $850,000 to $1 million (depending on the capacity of the scow) to build and transport to Newport Beach.

How much does it cost to hire a small dredge