The Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District continues to search for economical ways to keep the Atchafalaya Bar Channel clear of sediment.
The Daily Review reports (http://bit.ly/NlVpSB) dredging is expensive takes three to six months. Ship captains begin reporting new sediment buildup in as little as two weeks after the dredging is completed.
After six to eight weeks, the filling channel becomes a navigational issue, engineer Jonathan Hird of Baton Rouge-based Moffatt & Nichol told the port district this past week.
Hird outlined ongoing efforts of his firm, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Morgan City port to examine other methods to keep the channel clear.
While he said there is no way to prevent sediment from forming, alternative approaches to dredging are under consideration.