Mississippi River Dredging Project

The Mighty Mississippi River, the largest and most important river in North America, drains an astounding 41 percent of the continental United States watershed into the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the river’s waterways for safe navigation in the main stem river channel, as well as its many harbors, and GLDD plays a key role in maintaining these waterways, providing annual dredging services at various locations on the Lower Mississippi River. Through our diverse fleet of dredging equipment, GLDD’s dredging projects clear the navigation channels of accumulated shoal material following spring runoffs; dredge the river’s many harbors that link to regional rail and highway transportation networks for moving products and commodities between global markets; and regularly works in the deep draft channel of the Southwest Pass. Materials dredged by the cutter suction dredges are beneficially reused by hydraulically pumping soils into severely eroded adjacent marsh areas to restore them, while also protecting vital infrastructure and inhabited areas from surges during tropical storm events. GLDD’s hopper dredges, with their maneuverability and productive versatility, make them a critical resource for our dredging projects that help maintain navigation in the Mississippi River.