USACE - Moss Landing Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project
Focus:
Environmental Compliance
Biological Services
Marine Services
Challenges
The Moss Landing Harbor area consists of estuarine and intertidal harbor habitats, and sea otters and other marine mammals are abundant throughout the site.
It is home to a variety of marine wildlife, including the following regulated species:
Marine Mammals
Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi)
Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis)
Southern sea otters and other marine mammals, such as California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus), were frequently detected within the action and dig areas of dredging activities.
Innovative Solutions
Our biologists developed and implemented a marine mammal monitoring program at the start of the project in December 2020. Together with the Army QA/QC inspector, we were on the dredge barge daily to monitor and protect marine wildlife. The dredging activities were halted whenever sea otters were observed within 50 m of dredging activities. Dredging was only resumed when they were safely away from the action area.
The assessment of marine-specific wildlife activity guided the implementation and adaptation of our monitoring program. In January 2021, we led the successful completion of the project that ensured the protection of marine life.
Project Details
Location
Old Salinas River
Status
Completed, 2021