What Is Dredging? How Does It Benefit My Waterfront Property?

There's nothing quite like waterfront living. From the thrill of watching a sunset over the water to the excitement of participating in various water sports, owning a waterfront property has many benefits. As great as living near a body of water can be, though, it also comes with some unique challenges. Problems such as pollution, erosion, and excess plant growth can make your dream of living on the waterfront more like a nightmare. Fortunately, dredging offers a solution to many of these common problems, allowing you to reclaim your little piece of paradise.

Understanding The Process

If you've never utilized dredging services before, you may wonder what it entails. Essentially, the process involves removing various types of sediment and debris from a specific area in a waterway. Waterways can include lakes, rivers, ponds, and even oceans. A large machine, called a dredge, is used to complete this process. As sediment is removed, it is diverted to a safe area to be used as backfill, fertilizer, or for a number of other purposes. We've helped with dredging for many years. If you're looking to get a quote on our services, simply submit our Pricing Request Form here.

Types of Dredges

All types of dredges use suction to remove debris from one area and relocate it to another. If the sediment isn't compacted, a plain-suction dredge can be used. This dredge is similar to a vacuum in that it merely sucks-up anything that's loose and sends it on its way. As to the other types of dredges, the main difference between them is the method used to loosen the debris before it is removed from the body of water.

For jobs where there is only a shallow layer of sediment, a cutter-suction dredge can be useful. Utilizing a cutting wheel, this piece of equipment cuts a wide swath on the bottom or side of a body of water. For many residential applications, a cutter-suction dredge is a great option.

Deeper applications may require an auger-suction dredge or a jet-lift dredge. Both of these types of dredges have tools that can penetrate deep beneath the top layer of sediment to allow for major altering of the bottom of a body of water.

Why Is It Necessary?

The shorelines and bottoms of bodies of water are constantly changing. As the amount of water in a waterway increases and decreases, it can cause erosion on the shoreline. Or, if there are large amounts of organic deposits in the water, these deposits can build-up on the shoreline, which can make it more difficult to access the body of water. Therefore, one use of dredging is to restore a shoreline to its original state, either by removing debris or reinforcing the shoreline using material from the bottom of the body of water.

On the bottom of a body of water, organic matter can settle and decompose. Dying plants and animals, dirt deposits, excess fertilizer, and a host of other materials can easily find their way to the bottom of a body of water. Even bodies of water that aren't fed by a river or stream can experience this build-up of debris due to run-off from the surrounding land during wet-weather events.

Eventually, this organic debris can reduce the depth of the body of water, making it unusable for its original purpose. Additionally, the increased decomposition can reduce oxygen levels for living organisms in the body of water, causing a risk for a mass die-off. Fortunately, a dredge can be used to remove this organic matter so that the body of water can be restored.

Additionally, a dredge can be used to increase the size of a body of water, providing additional opportunities for recreation, commerce, and more. Request a quote for dredging services here.

What Are The Benefits of Dredging?

Given the reasons that dredging is needed, you can probably pick up on some of the benefits. As a homeowner, there are several benefits of dredging that can help preserve the beauty and value of your waterfront property.

One crucial benefit of using a dredge is helping to reduce erosion. By using the sediment that the dredge collects on your shoreline, you can build-up and compress the shoreline so that the water doesn't come too close to your home.

You can also use a dredge to re-shape the shoreline to a more natural shape that helps to hold back the soil and ensures you don't use your valuable land to the nearby body of water. Plus, by preventing erosion, you will help protect the body of water so that it doesn't end up with the problems that require a dredge in the first place.

Another important benefit of this process is that it helps to remove pollutants that may have found their way into the water that's near your home. This is especially important if you swim in the body of water or eat fish taken from the water. Something as simple as an excess amount of fertilizer can cause health problems for you and your family if you are exposed to the water. By removing the sediment that contains these pollutants, though, you can swim and fish without a second thought.

While using a dredge isn't right for every situation, it can have major benefits when the need is present. Therefore, if you are having problems with your piece of shoreline, it may be time to give this process some consideration.

Need help with dredging?

Are you looking for some help dredging a shoreline or removing debris? Give us a call today at 941-479-7811 or email us at admin@crosscreekenv.com to request a quote.