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June Update

The Design Team and its contractors remain engaged in several activities on the canal as the warm summer weather continues.

Drilling for Bulkhead Study: As part of our continuing study of bulkheads in the canal, we will strategically begin drilling borings near and along existing bulkheads of the canal. Once drilled, we will prepare the borings for tests that will help us investigate and identify the structure and foundations of the existing bulkheads.

Groundwater Studies: We will collect data to better characterize how groundwater enters the canal. We will use this information in the development of future remedial design operations.

Hydraulic Conductivity: We will use a barge-mounted drilling rig to collect water samples by installing temporary wells and taking sediment samples. The data will give us the rate at which water travels through the sediment throughout the canal. We will use this information to develop a model that will simulate groundwater flow in different remedial designs.

Sediment Studies: We will collect sediment throughout the canal for testing. These samples will guide the Design Team to determine the appropriate remedy for the corresponding area.

Determine Sediment Characteristics: The temporary wells used to collect data for the groundwater study will also be used to gather sediment samples. With the samples, we will perform tests to help us learn about its composition. This includes the rate at which water travels through it and if it changes in volume and density. We will use this information to develop a plan for dredging and the cap design.

Photos from Ongoing Work

We’re using this barge-mounted drill to collect sediment samples in core tubes.

We will test the sediment collected in core tubes, like this one shown, to develop a plan for dredging and the cap design.