Marina to get a sand lift

The Point Roberts Marina has applied for permission to do a bypass dredging operation later this fall. This involves taking sand from the east side of the harbor breakwater and moving it to the west side. This differs from a channel dredging which involves a greater amount of material and is subject to different rules.

Dredging operations typically take place in the November/December period in order to avoid disrupting forage fish that are active on the shoreline earlier in the year. Bypass dredging was a requirement of the original permitting of the marina back in the 1970s. The bluffs at Lily Point act as feeder bluffs, meaning that their erosion and consequent drift westward acts to replenish the beach west of Lily Point.

The construction of the breakwater disrupts the western flow of sand and acts as a dam. The bypass takes the built-up sand and moves it to the west side where it can continue to feed the shorefront. Interestingly, according to an agreement signed by the developers and property owners west of the breakwater, owners have the right in perpetuity to demand the removal of the breakwater should the marina fail to perform bypass dredging on a regular schedule should their beaches or property be damaged.

Dredging the harbor channel is authorized through a 10-year permit due to expire in 2026, according to state department of ecology shoreline specialist Laura Inouye. Whatcom County, Army Corps of Engineers, departments of ecology, natural resources and fish and wildlife all are involved in the permit approval process. Material removed is analyzed before it is allowed to be placed on the foreshore. Excessive sediment or heavy metals would preclude it being used for beach replenishment.

According to the DOE, the last bypass dredge took place in December 2020. Prioer to that, the last large dredging operation took place in 2017 and the marina was not allowed to place the dredged material back into the water due to high sediment level. That dredge cost $850,000 according to then-marina manager Wayne Knowles.