Petaluma Turning Basin to undergo dredging, residents advised of closures

The Petaluma Turning Basin and Marina are set to close temporarily for routine dredging work, after the city awarded a contract to a local company for dredging maintenance and to install upgrades to nearby docks.

Petaluma City Council on Sept. 19 approved the allocation of more than $563,000 for a construction contract with Lind Marine, allowing for the two-phase dredging project to start.

The project’s first phase will include the dredging of areas left out during work in 2020 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as removal and restoration of the city dock on the west side of the Turning Basin and the Petaluma Small Craft Center dock and gangway. The city dock on the east side of the Turning Basin will also be removed, city staff said, but its replacement won’t be completed until 2023, in the second phase of the project.

“This project will do the dredging necessary to improve watercraft access to the entire Turning Basin as well as provide better clearance for using the City’s docks,” city staff said in a city of Petaluma website post.

The dredging work comes as the city looks to improve watercraft access to the Turning Basin, which has experienced recent silt buildup that is causing problems for launching kayaks and paddle boards from the docks.

“Last year’s atmospheric river storm activated the Mud Conveyor Belt and moved lots of silt into the Turning Basin from just above the Balshaw bridge,” Council member Mike Healy said Aug. 13.

In early August, the city called for bids on the emergency dredging project, and by Aug. 25 had received two bids, one from Lind Marine and the other from the Dutra Group, which estimated higher contract costs of more than $639,000.

The first phase of the dredging project will take place next month, and requires closure of the D Street bridge. Total budget for this phase will amount to about $830,000 coming from Capital Improvement Project funds.

“This closure affects vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians, as the bridge will stay in the raised position 24 hours (per) day during the closure dates,” city staff said.

The bridge closure will take place weekdays from Oct. 3 to 7, Oct. 10 to 14 and Oct. 17 to 18. It will remain open on weekends during that time.

Traffic will be rerouted to cross the river at East Washington Street via Petaluma Bouldevard North for west side traffic or at Lakeville Street for east side traffic. Public transit will be rerouted and may experience delays, and commercial trucks must use Highway 101.

Lind Marine has been performing dredging work for more than 20 years, and has worked with the city of San Francisco, the U.S. Coast Guard Vallejo Station and the Oyster Cove Marina in South San Francisco, according to the staff report.

Amelia Parreira is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.parreira@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.