Swinomish Channel dredging moves sand and silt deeper

A red sky at night is a sailor’s delight.

So, too, is dredging of Swinomish Channel.

A California marine contractor has begun removing just over 150,000 cubic yards of material from the channel, a project scheduled to run through November, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Removing sediment from the channel, which runs 11 nautical miles between Padilla Bay to the north and Skagit Bay to the south, is considered essential in helping prevent shoaling and to maintain the popular sheltered route used by an array of commercial, recreational and Tribal vessels.

A barge-mounted crane has...