Marina Dock Age

In December 2009, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a dredging project at San Leandro Marina in San Leandro, Calif., removing 90,000 cubic yards of silt from the harbor and channel that leads to San Leandro Bay, according to a Jan. 7 Castro Valley Forum report. Though the long overdue dredge ensures that the majority of the marina’s boats can now maneuver without fail during low tide, City Manager Stephen Hollister said this is only a temporary fix to a more permanent problem.

The man-made San Leandro Marina, which was built upon mud flats, will shoal again within four to seven years without continually dredging the area, Hollister said. Eight years had passed since the last dredging at the marina.

For now, the maintenance dredge brought the harbor and channel to an acceptable minimum depth of five feet below the average low tide. The dredging project was paid for in part by $1 million from the Federal Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Hollister also said the dredged sediment could be costly for the city. Currently, the mud is drying out near the marina, while the city looks for a permanent disposal place after the sediment completely dries in 18 months.

Trucking fees to move the sediment could run as high as $3 million, said Hollister, who would prefer a spot close to the marina.