Sand Management What causes the Bar Why are we silting up? April Hamer History Dredging on a Flood Tide| No current Berths Avaliable |
Sand Management
Lakes Entrance is the largest fishing port in Australia, home to a $200 million commercial fishing industry. With recreational boating also worth around $200 million to the local economy, the Lakes Entrance Fishing Port is a vital economic asset for provincial Victoria.
Gippsland Ports is responsible for keeping the ocean access open, and utilises two dredgers and a sand transfer system to remove sand from the bar, entrance channel and inner channels at Lakes Entrance.
Gippsland Ports also manages sand build-ups at various other locations across its area of responsibility when funds are available, however the major focus is at Lakes Entrance.
The Victorian State Government recently funded a $31.5m initiative to conduct trials and determine the most effective and economic solution to manage the sand issues at Lakes Entrance into the future. The project commenced in 2006 with physical trials commencing in 2007 and continuing through 2008. For more detailed information relating to this project, please go to www.lesmp.vic.gov.au
Traditionally, Gippsland Ports has operated the sidecast dredge April Hamer in conjunction with the smaller cutter suction dredge Sandpiper (replaced 2007 by the Kalimna) to move sand from the bar, entrance and inner channels at Lakes Entrance.
The April Hamer maintains the bar to a depth of 3m x 80m width. The April Hamer also pumps material from the entrance channel and inner channels to “stockpiles” inside the entrance, where the smaller dredge then pumps via a pumping station on the Long Island to an outfall site on the Ninety Mile Beach some 800m East of the entrance walls. There is a system of underground and on-ground pipes with riser valves that the smaller dredge connects located in Cunninghame Arm and Reeves Channel that allow dredged material to be pumped to the pumping station from upto 1km away.
| April Hamer in Operation |   enlarge |
| Kalimna dredge in operation |  enlarge |
| Sand Transfer System schematic |  enlarge |
| Eastern Outfall Site |  enlarge |
| Entrance Channel Lakes Entrance |  enlarge |
