Sunday, November 25, 2012

A Few Things To Know About Lake Dredging

By Deana Stanton


Lake dredging is a process carried out to remove sediments that has been formed at the bottom of the lake. This becomes necessary when the quality of water, navigation or recreation begins to suffer adverse effects from the accumulated sediments. This process also involves estimating the sources and the amount of sediments that have been formed. Deposits that come from continuous sources such as construction sites, agricultural runoffs and eroding stream banks should be checked in order to ensure that dredging is not carried out too frequently.

A professional should be hired to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best way to go about the project. The deposits have to be checked to confirm whether they are contaminated by chemicals. A disposal site will also be chosen for the dredged material. A financial estimate of the project will also be given to you.

Lake dredging is usually done for the improvement of access for activities such as swimming, boating or fishing. It can also be done to improve capacity if the water is a reservoir. Another reason is to remove nutrient rich deposits so as to reduce the growth of unwanted plants and make the environment more habitable for fish.

It is important to calculate the quantity of deposits to remove. A depth that is too shallow will let in sunlight and will cause the growth of aquatic plants. On the other hand, if the depth is too deep, it might open up nutrient rich wastes or old arsenic treatments. This is why hiring an expert to conduct an accurate analysis is very important.

Another aspect of lake dredging is to choose the parts of the basin to dredge. You may choose to dredge the entire basin or to identify particular spots. It is less expensive to dredge selected spots and it will also have less negative impact on the ecological unit. It is usually sufficient for most purposes if selected areas are dredged.

Sediments can be removed in a variety of different ways. If it is a mini project of around 50 to 100 cubic yards, you can do it by yourself by using shovels, small excavating equipment, small pumps and buckets. Earthmoving equipment and hydraulic dredges are needed for projects that are much bigger.

A suitable location will have to be found to dispose the sediments that have been removed. It is better to get a place that can easily be reached from the lake. This will help you cut down on the overall cost of the project. It is more difficult to look for an appropriate disposal site in urban areas. Trucked sediments are transported to pasture lands, landfills or croplands.

Lake dredging can be very expensive but the costs are usually weighed against the provided benefits. It is therefore necessary to know the cost of the project before you proceed. Most contractors calculate their payment according to the cubic yards of deposits that are removed. You should get quotes from a number of contractors for the purpose of comparison.




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