Consultant outlines sediment‑removal plan: 5 sites, 9,000 cubic yards and lab tests

Steve Johnson, the consultant engaged to prepare the sediment‑removal plan, summarized field methods — more than 500 manual rod soundings, PVC cores, high‑precision GPS and boat‑mounted sonar — and said those data produced depth maps and volume calculations for five candidate sites. "We assessed 5 different locations," Johnson said, noting that phase 1 would focus on one area on each shore to maximize value within budget.

Johnson described the phase‑1 volumes as roughly 4,500 cubic yards per side (about 9,000 cubic yards total) and explained the plan modeled dredging a minimum channel depth of 5 feet with a 40‑foot channel width for barge access. On lab results, he reported metals (including arsenic, barium, chromium and lead) and nutrient levels were within expected ranges for local soils, and emphasized most sampled material was sand rather than high‑organic muck.