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Dredge will begin work soon at Calumet Cut

Port board wants answers about buoy accuracy after vessel gets stuck in silt

The Borinquen Dredge is moving to the Calumet Cut.
Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade made that report on behalf of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Tim Connell on Monday at a Port of Morgan City board meeting.
The Borinquen Dredge, which has been working between the La. 182 and U.S. 90 bridges and contracted through Weeks Marine Inc., completed its dredging operations in the Berwick Bay area of the Atchafalaya River on Saturday. The dredge has also completed work in 20 Grand Point and Tidewater Point.
The Borinquen ship is now headed to marker 99, near which it will dredge the area for the next six to seven days. Shortly after dredging the area, the ship will head to Calumet Cut and dredge until the first week of December.
Wade also reported that Connell needs to address the port about the issues of the inaccurate readings of the buoys that the U.S. Coast Guard had set throughout the Lower Atchafalaya.
Commissioner Lee Dragna said one of his vessels got completely stuck in the silt 10 miles offshore about nine days ago.
“Like we came to a complete stop and I had to call two boats to come push us out,” Dragna said.
Wade said that he talked with Connell and asked that he explain the various issues in person because he has been absent for the last few port meeting.
In other port news:
—The port renewed its property insurance rate until May.
—The port approved a letter of “No Objection” from Central Boat Rental on water control structures on Shell Island.
—Michael Lowe, consultant with GIS Engineering, said more clarification was sent to the state for review and the state is currently reviewing the final draft of the dredging permit for the port.

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