News Release
| Release Number: | 97-043 |
| Dated: | 5/6/1997 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-- The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, recently awarded a hopper dredging contract to Manson Construction and Engineering.
For a little more than $2 million, the Seattle-based company will remove an estimated 185,000 cubic yards of material from the Chetco, Rogue and Coquille rivers in southern Oregon and from Coos Bay. The contractor will begin work on June 1 and will complete the dredging work by July 31, 1997. No other bids for this work were received.
The Corps' Portland District also owns and operates two hopper dredges and a sand bypasser dredge, which are moored at the U.S. Government Moorings near St. John's Bridge in Portland. The dredges and their crews maintain Oregon and California harbors, as well as those in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
These dredges meet a portion of the region's dredging needs. Private dredging companies -- contracted by the Corps -- do the rest. By law, the Corps is required to set aside a portion of its dredging work for private dredging companies. This year, the 1997 Water and Energy Appropriations Bill requires the Corps to set aside 8.5 million cubic yards, nationwide, for private dredges.
Note: The dredge Essayons will join the Portland Rose Festival's official fleet at the downtown sea wall from June 4 to June 8. Tours for media representatives may be arranged by calling Heidi Helwig at (503) 326-6005.