Dredge Hurley Works Along the Mississippi River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dredge Hurley performed maintenance work outside of New Madrid port in New Madrid Missouri. Prior to that the Memphis District dredge was working at the Olmstead Lock and Dam project clearing sediment from the winter months at the project site which it has done for the last several years. The dustpan Dredge Hurley works up and down the Mississippi River along with the Corps’ Dredge Potter to remove shoals and keep navigation open.

Originally commissioned in 1993 the dredge was lengthened in 2010 from 305 to 353 feet. Dredge Hurley replaced the 1933-built Dredge Burgess and soon after it was operation the Corps identified a need for a vessel to dredge up to 75 feet. The project was authorized in 1997.

The 353-foot long 108-foot wide dustpan dredge uses two 1500 hp. motors to pump up to 5000 cubic yards of sediment from the river bottom each hour. The Dredge Hurley has a steel frame ladder that supports the dustpan suction head. High velocity water jets on the suction head of the dustpan dredge loosen the material on the river bottom. The dredge’s floating pipe-line carries material outside the navigation channel via a 1200-foot pipeline. 

Dredge Hurley’s steel frame ladder that supports the dustpan suction head dredge.

 

The high velocity water jets on the suction head of the dustpan loosen material on the river bottom. 

 

The floating pipeline carries sediment and deposits it outside of the navigation channel. This pipeline sus-pended on swiveling pontoons can be extended to a length of approximately 1200 feet.