St. Paul District assists Kansas City District with Dredge Goetz on Missouri River

By James F. Lowe and Reagan ZimmermanNovember 15, 2021

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, collaborated with the St. Paul District, of the Mississippi Valley Division, to bring the Dredge Goetz onto the Missouri River from late October through early November 2021 to participate in a pilot project to dredge sediment that had created shallow areas in the shipping channel.

The Dredge Goetz operating on the Missouri River assisting the Kansas City District by participate in a pilot project to dredge sediment that had created shallow areas in the shipping channel November 3, 2021. Courtesy photo from drone footage by...
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Dredge Goetz operating on the Missouri River assisting the Kansas City District by participate in a pilot project to dredge sediment that had created shallow areas in the shipping channel November 3, 2021. Courtesy photo from drone footage by Charles Sellmeyer. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Name panel for the Dredge Goetz operating on the Missouri River assisting the Kansas City District by participate in a pilot project to dredge sediment that had created shallow areas in the shipping channel November 3, 2021.
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Name panel for the Dredge Goetz operating on the Missouri River assisting the Kansas City District by participate in a pilot project to dredge sediment that had created shallow areas in the shipping channel November 3, 2021. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
Jake Bernhardt, Chief of Physical Support for the Dredge Goetz, explains the operations of the dredge to Maj. John Chambers, deputy commander for the Kansas City District, on the bow of the Dredge Goetz near St. Charles, Mo. on the Missouri River...
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Jake Bernhardt, Chief of Physical Support for the Dredge Goetz, explains the operations of the dredge to Maj. John Chambers, deputy commander for the Kansas City District, on the bow of the Dredge Goetz near St. Charles, Mo. on the Missouri River November 3, 2021. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
Left to right: Nathan Chrisman, Engineering Division; Dane Morris, program manager for repairing the structures of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project; Jake Bernhardt, Chief of Physical Support for the Dredge Goetz; and...
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Left to right: Nathan Chrisman, Engineering Division; Dane Morris, program manager for repairing the structures of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project; Jake Bernhardt, Chief of Physical Support for the Dredge Goetz; and Maj. John Chambers, Deputy Commander, Kansas City District aboard the Dredge Goetz receiving an orientation to the operations of the dredge. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
The tail of the Dredge Goetz carries the floating pipe that discharges the debris agitated from the dredging activities to the down river shipping channel where it washes away with the flow of water November 3, 2021, near St. Charles, Mo.
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The tail of the Dredge Goetz carries the floating pipe that discharges the debris agitated from the dredging activities to the down river shipping channel where it washes away with the flow of water November 3, 2021, near St. Charles, Mo. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL
In the control tower of the Dredge Goetz on the Missouri River near St. Charles, Mo., Maj. John Chambers views the data screen showing the different features of the dredging controls November 3, 2021. Ship masters from the Goetz instructed him on...
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – In the control tower of the Dredge Goetz on the Missouri River near St. Charles, Mo., Maj. John Chambers views the data screen showing the different features of the dredging controls November 3, 2021. Ship masters from the Goetz instructed him on the basic operations of the dredging crane and agitator. (Photo Credit: James Lowe) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, collaborated with the St. Paul District, of the Mississippi Valley Division, to bring the Dredge Goetz onto the Missouri River from late October through early November 2021 to participate in a pilot project to dredge sediment that had created shallow areas in the shipping channel.

The Goetz has provided critical assistance to the Kansas City District through this pilot program, and we thank them, said Maj. John Chambers, deputy commander of the Kansas City District.

Chambers noted that as a learning organization, the district was able to assess the dredging effectiveness of the larger dredge normally used on the Mississippi River for its deeper channels and higher volume of commercial traffic.

Chambers said that while the Missouri River can self-maintain the shipping channel by a series of engineered structures, damage to those structures from flooding can prevent them from performing their intended job. When this happens, shallow areas form and prevent large barges from transporting their goods through these areas. By coordinating with St. Paul District, we are assessing the effectiveness of dredging as another tool to maintain the Missouri River navigation channel.

The district coordinated the dredging with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and took steps to minimize disturbances to sensitive areas due to fish and other habitat factors.

Dane Morris, program manager for repairing the structures of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, accompanied the deputy on a site visit in early November to bring the operations of the Goetz into full focus.

“Our challenge is that compared with the Mississippi River, the Missouri River has a rapidly changing river bed and by the time we move an asset there to disperse the materials, the channel has self-scoured the material already. By focusing the Goetz on the most difficult build ups on the lower Missouri River, we have been able to assess how effective it is in solving the trouble spots and how we can incorporate this type of work into our long-term maintenance of the channel. So far it works well and we’re looking forward to evaluating the long-term success at these sites,” said Morris.

The Goetz looks like a built-up barge with its own control tower and a detachable discharge tube or tail that allows for dredged material to be released an adjustable distance away from the downstream edge of the boat. In the use on the Missouri, that tail was assembled to be about 500 meters. The work crew covers a 24-hour schedule with a quarter boat having beds and a dining facility to support the staff of about 25.

Separate from the dredging, repairs on the river structures will continue over the late fall and winter as conditions allow. The Kansas City District contracts with several companies which provide a commercial boost to rebuilding the rock wings that were damaged by high water and flooding over the last several years – with more damage done in 2019. The district also has its own work barge and can do repairs to a structure from that crane-equipped barge.