Sand Dredging
As part of the construction, a sand trap immediately to the south of the sea opening was incorporated into the design to capture sand build up from the natural south to north movement along the coast caused by the predominant south-westerly winds. If the sand was not captured and mechanically moved, the channel would quickly close as there is insufficient water flow out of the channel to compensate for the build up.
Approximately 85,000 m³ of sand per year is mechanically moved from the south to the northern side of the channel. This is done by converting the build up in the catchment area into a slurry and pumping the mixture across the channel in one of two submerged 315 mm pipes.
Read more about this topic: Dawesville Channel
Famous quotes containing the word sand:
“The shore is composed of a belt of smooth rounded white stones like paving-stones, excepting one or two short sand beaches, and is so steep that in many places a single leap will carry you into water over your head; and were it not for its remarkable transparency, that would be the last to be seen of its bottom till it rose on the opposite side. Some think it is bottomless.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)