San Francisco Bay Harbor Drift Removal

SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR & BAY (DRIFT REMOVAL)
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION

Drift Removal project is based at San Francisco District Operations Base yard in Sausalito, California.  Mission is the removal of floating hazards to navigation using government-owned vessels as well as some sunken hazards to navigation.  Large floating debris collection is accomplished by routine patrols on the Bay and response to calls received from public and agencies (Coast Guard, Ports, ferryboat operators, public and private operators, San Francisco Bay Harbor Pilots, etc.).  The drift removal fleet’s areas of operations are San Francisco Bay (Main-ship Channel, Central, North and South), San Pablo Bay, Oakland Estuary, Petaluma River, Napa River, Mare Island Strait, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, Port of Redwood, and portions of Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to include the Port of Stockton and Port of Sacramento.  Annually more than 1,200 tons of large debris impending marine traffic is removed for the federal channels.  The debris removal operation provides safer and cheaper marine traffic to all minor and major ports in greater bay area and Ports of Stockton and Sacramento. This improves the economics of the seven deep-draft ports, including the Port of Oakland, and significantly reduces catastrophic danger to U.S. Coast Guard high-speed security vessels, high-speed ferry traffic, and recreational ship traffic.

TOTAL FUNDING

 

TOTAL COST

 N/A

FEDERAL COST

 N/A

NON-FEDERAL COST

 N/A

 

 

TOTAL FEDERAL COST THROUGH FY 2022

$7,070,000

FY 2023 BUDGET

$3,839,000

COST TO COMPLETE

 N/A

FY 22 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Normal annual removal of floating hazards to navigation

FY 23 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Removal and replacement of the south debris yard dock and fendering system. The project will eliminate the hazard of structure failures, remove aging timber, and concrete from the bay, and install an in-kind debris dock meeting current design standards. The finished dock will improve efficiency of debris handling, sorting, and haul-out processes.

ISSUES AND OTHER INFORMATION

  • Current estimates place drift and debris removal from San Francisco Bay and its tributaries at an average of 1,200 tons annually, although winter storms have generated upwards of 5,000 tons of large flotsam within a three month period.
  • Removal of floating hazards to navigation utilizing existing USACE vessels is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound method possible.
  • Within the greater San Francisco Bay Area, there are an increasing number of high-speed homeland security vessels, high-speed ferries, commercial shipping traffic and recreational vessels. 

CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST

  • 2nd District, Rep. Jared Huffman
  • 4th District, Rep. Mike Thompson
  • 7th District, Rep. Doris Matsui
  • 8th District, Rep. John Garamendi
  • 9th District, Rep. Josh Harder
  • 11th District, Rep. Nancy Pelosi
  • 12th District, Rep. Barbara Lee
  • 14th District, Rep. Eric Swalwell
  • 15th District, Rep. Kevin Mullin

POINT OF CONTACT

  • Deputy for Project Management, (415) 503-6593.

Updated on 14 February 2023


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