- Palmer Federal Constructors
- US Army Corps of Engineer - New England District
- Federal
- Milford, MA
Project Overview
Charter was hired to support a dredging operation on Milford Pond in Milford, MA meant to deepen the south end of the pond shallowed by siltation, and dispose of the material in a 34-acre containment area on the northern edge. The containment area was designed to become an emergent and forested wetland.
Charter deployed a small hydraulic dredge navigated on steel wires connected to the shoreline, as well as some associated floating plant. Filled with organic debris like rootballs and vines, Charter outfitted its dredge cutterhead with a protective shield to avoid dredge downtime. A debris box was used to collect organic debris and eliminate voids in fill area. In order to properly spread the dredge material within the impoundment area, Charter acquired an airboat with a fan mounted atop the stern that allowed us to navigate the impoundment without disturbing the sediment.
Winter Conditions
The Charter Team worked through harsh winter conditions installing the coir log containment area. An idea borne by a Charter foreman who is an avid ice-fisherman, Charter leveraged the ice platform to carve through the ice using a chainsaw and stake down the coir log materials, thus creating the impoundment perimeter.
By leveraging the winter season, Charter was able to save 2 months from the project schedule by accomplishing work that was originally scheduled for spring.
Unlike a typical dredging job which consists of silt and fines washed from tides and flooding, Milford Pond consisted of sediment, peat, and gravel and throughout the dredging process, crews encountered roots, trees, stumps, and boulders. Using land and water-based anchor systems and fusing 1.5 miles of pipe, Charter efficiently removed obstructions and relocated sediments to restore the pond while coordinating access with residents.
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