Paducah Prepares For Dredging Project

Dredge America Inc. is staging equipment and supplies at the Ohio River Boat Launch in Paducah, Ky., in preparation to begin dredging the first week of March.

The company will store the equipment until ready to begin dredging sediment downstream of the city’s transient boat dock. While the boat launch, 275 Burnett St., remains open for public use during the project, a section of the parking lot will be unavailable.

The city of Paducah approved a three-year contract with Dredge America in October for hydraulic dredging of a maximum of 60,000 cubic yards of sediment yearly downstream of the transient dock in order to maintain access to it. The sediment will be removed from an approximately 8-acre area immediately downstream from the dock. Dredged material will then be discharged more than three-fourths of a mile downstream in a permitted deepwater area. The city of Paducah said the work will not affect the Ohio River’s navigational channel.

Sediment Deposition

During 2018, 2019 and 2020, Paducah experienced extended periods with the Ohio River above flood stage. In 2019, the Ohio River was above flood stage for more than 300 consecutive days. This sustained river level resulted in sediment deposition downstream of the transient boat dock.

As a result of the flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency obligated more than $3.97 million in federal funds for Paducah’s dredging project, which will cover 90 percent of the total project cost. The remaining amount is split between the state (4.8 percent) and city (5.2 percent).