Why is a sunken barge still obstructing the Petaluma River, six weeks on?

Several weeks on, an inundated barge is still obstructing a sizeable portion of the Petaluma River, its careening wreckage clearly visible near Heritage Salvage between the Highway 101 overpass and the McNear Peninsula.

Authorities said the marine construction barge became stuck in the mud during low tide in the Petaluma River on Nov. 14, then was inundated by the rising tide overnight. The vessel has remained partially submerged for more than six weeks now, concerning some residents over its potential environmental impact and frustrating boaters and paddlers forced to circumvent the hulk of metal.

“Here we have our river dredged after years, then in a matter of a few weeks we have this barge covering a section of the river,” said avid rower Greg Sabourin, who founded the North Bay Rowing Club in Petaluma in 1984. “We’re hoping it’ll be out of there by spring, once yacht clubs start coming up the river and more people are out on the water.”

A few members of his rowing club have stumbled upon floating debris from the wreck, Sabourin said, which included a recent group effort to lug what he describes as a 30-foot-long vinyl sleeve from the water.

Lt. Stephanie Cardenas, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, said the agency is currently working with the barge’s owner on removal efforts, and is in regular contact with officials from Fish and Wildlife and Environmental Protection Agency. However, there is no clear timeline as to when it will be fully removed.

If the owner does not meet the Coast Guard’s timelines, Cardenas said, the agency will likely consider what they call “control measures” which might include levying fines.

“People are getting antsy about it, and we don’t want a barge in the middle of the waterway,” she said. “So we will go that (control measure) route if they don’t get moving on it soon, probably within this next week.”

The vessel’s owner, Les Shorter, did not respond to a request for comment before press time Wednesday afternoon.

Officials said the barge had started to leak some fluids into the tidal slough soon after it became submerged in November, leading local fire personnel to encircle it with floating booms to contain the surface spill, which included a small amount of lubricating oil.

“There hasn’t been any sheening for weeks, so the pollution is contained according to the EPA reports,” Cardenas said.

For those like Sabourin who spend hours on the river, the wreckage has impacted regular training exercises that often take advantage of the full width of the river and presented concerns over any floating debris that might become what he calls “boat killers.”

“Luckily no boats have been damaged, but we have to be very careful now, especially from a traffic point of view,” he said. “We keep hearing rumors off when it will be removed, but nothing definitive.”

(Contact Kathryn Palmer at kathryn.palmer@arguscourier.com, on Twitter @KathrynPlmr.)