HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04262005 - C21 Contra
- Costa
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
County
FROM: TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE '
Supervisor, Mary Piepho, Chair C�
Supervisor Federal Glover
DATE: April 29, 2005
SUBJECT: REPORT ON PROPOSED WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT (WRDA)
AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF US ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS DREDGE VESSELS
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION
SUPPORT inclusion of language in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), to
eliminate restrictions on use of US Army Corps of Engineers dredge vessels on the west coast,
and AUTHORIZE Chair to sign letters of support to relevant legislators.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the County from the abovementioned action. However,
as a local sponsor for federal navigation projects, the County advocates for federal
funding for channel maintenance (and other)activities. Future funding requests may
be reduced if dredging restrictions are eliminated,which would lower dredging costs.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE
RECOMMENDATION OFC NTY ADMINISTRATOR x RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
qAe"i a Pie hodftair S ervisor Federal Glover
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT/ AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE
SHOWN,
Contact: Roberta Goulart (925) 335-1226) ATTESTED �'V`� `2'46
cc: Community Development Department (CDD) JOHN SWEETEN, CLERK OF
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BY , DEPUTY
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Committee considered this issue at the
meeting of April 11, 2005, and recommends support of expanded use of Army Corps of
Engineers dredge vessels on the west coast.
Historically, the Corps of Engineers dredging fleet has only been allowed to dredge up
to 180 days per year, in order to encourage competition of private dredging companies.
Where this has been a successful approach in the past, a decline in the private
dredging businesses on the west coast, coupled with the lack of competition in some
geographic areas, has driven up the costs of dredging substantially. In the Bay area,
there is usually only one private dredging bid for each job, and resultant costs to dredge
are significant.
For example, in Contra Costa County, there are two sections of the San Francisco to
Stockton Ship Channel that require annual maintenance by the Corps of Engineers,the
Pinole Shoal, and Suisun Bay Channel/New York Slough. Every year, Contra Costa
County and others request federal funding for this purpose.
The west coast is served by two Corps dredge vessels, the Essayons and Yaquina.
Generally most use of these dredges occurs in the Pacific northwest, and if additional
time (and funding) is available, the Bay area can utilize this extra time. In the past
three years, because of funding limitations and other problems, Washington and
Oregon have not been able to use the dredges as much as usual, providing more time
for the Bay area. As a result, channels that did not obtain enough federal funding to be
privately dredged, were able to take advantage of the Corps dredges. For two of the
past three years Pinole Shoal has not received enough federal funding, yet was able to
utilize the Corps dredges, and has been dredged to its authorized depth. Keeping
channels at authorized depth is critical to the operational efficiencies of the man
industries that utilize the channel, in addition to safety considerations.
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