Spring Dredging: Manson's ship-sized vacuum keeps the Port of Alaska open for operations.

• Author: Kreilkamp, Danny
• Position: CONSTRUCTION

Put simply, dredging is the excavation of unwanted materials from a marine environment.

But this simple procedure is key to facilitating a variety of more complex processes. From building new docks to maintaining existing ones, dredging is a crucial piece to maritime success.

And for the Port of Alaska, it's no different.

'A Complete and Total Dance'

The Port of Alaska is a critical piece of infrastructure not only for the state it serves but also in terms of national security.

Recognized as a US Commercial Strategic Seaport by the Department of Defense, it's the only tsunami-proof, inbound cargo port in all of Southcentral. In 2020 alone, the Port handled more than 4.5 million tons of fuel and cargo. And as Anchorage's only designated foreign trade zone, it sees its share of traffic.

The Port welcomes everything from fuel tankers to 100-plus passenger cruise ships, facilitating the steady flow of the state's most important products.

Coordinating the flow of this traffic is "a complete and total dance" according to Jim Jager, the Port's director of business continuity and external affairs. And one party that the Port coordinates with on a regular basis is Manson Construction Co.--the company that held most of the Port's maintenance dredging contracts in recent memory, and is again the winner of the latest.

"This port up here is a primary marine cargo handling facility for the state," says Jeremy Cook, a project manager with Manson. "It's a very important strategic place. They can't just have whoever's going to give them the best price come in here and try to do the work. It's too critical to play around with. They really need a reputable company that can definitely come in and get the job done--because if not, you know, this is Alaska's lifeline."

While the docks belong to the Port of Alaska, Jager explains that because the contract involves federal waterways, the US Army Corps of Engineers is the party responsible for issuing the dredging contract. It is always a competitive process, but with Manson, the USACE has found an able and reliable contractor to serve its needs.

Typically, Manson's dredge arrives in the Port of Alaska's waters sometime in April after the ice has cleared up.

"We have to have daily communication with Manson because the dredging all works around our operational schedule," says Jager. "And during the summer, we're actually out checking the port on a weekly basis for where the silt is in-filling."

"Particularly this...