Lakes Entrance Sand Management, Environment Protection, Sand Dredging, Tide Information, Dredging Pump Sand, Coastal Environment & Coastal Protection, Gippsland

Reports & Plans

CURRENT PLANS & REPORTS

Sand Management Study Jesz Fleming January 2004

Created: 07 January 2004

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Lakes Entrance has a history of dredging which now spans well over 100 years. The natural formation of a sand bar at the man made entrance has been the Achilles heel of maintaining safe access from the open sea to the Inner Harbour. The construction of
breakwaters and the many and varied methods to improve and maintain a shipping channel have all had limited success. The sand bar continues to grow.
As part of a review of dredging for Victorian Local Ports, Baggerman Associates & Evers Consult reviewed Lakes Entrance in 1998 for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Their September 1998 report is perhaps the most detailed study of dredging at Lakes Entrance and whilst there have been many changes since 1998 the underlying theme of their report is still relevant today i.e. methods should be explored to improve on providing a more reliable and safe navigable channel through the Bar. In respect of changes there has been a significant improvement in production efficiency of the dredge April Hamer since
1998 and there have been improvements such as the introduction of the fixed Sand Transfer System, trialling of a sand by-passing system using SlurrySystems and introduction of both day and night leads which can be moved to be aligned with the channel as dredged.