Collision sidelines dredge scheduled to work in Berwick Bay

Staff Report
Berwick Bay will have to wait for dredging by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vessel Jadwin.
The dustpan dredge, which was due to work here for a few days while in transit to its headquarters in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was struck by a westbound tow at Calumet Cut on Saturday morning, Port of Morgan City Director Raymond “Mac” Wade reported by text message Monday.
There were no injuries, but the dredge was damaged, Wade said.
“Corps plans on getting inland Dredge back in here in about 2 weeks to finish Berwick Bay,” Wade said.
The Jadwin’s operating expenses can run into six figures each day. The Port of Morgan City appeared to get a break when the Jadwin was to be available during its run back to Vicksbug, so the port would have to pay only for the work here and not for transit time.
Wade said at last week’s St. Mary Parish Council meeting that the Jadwin can move up to four times the material than can be accomplished by some of the cutter head dredges that have been working on local waterways.
The Jadwin completed its most recent season, which typically lasts from May until October or November, by dredging more than 4 million cubic yards of sand and sediment from navigable waterways, keeping channels open for commercial traffic.
The Jadwin uses a large suction head to scoop up sediment and uses water jets and a floating pipeline to move the material out of the channel.
A crew of 50 lives and works aboard the Jadwin when it’s deployed.
The vessel was set to work south of the bridges on Berwick Bay because it’s too big to fit beneath them.