GSL Slip Renters.

Here is an update on our efforts today to clean the mouth of the marina out.

The LUCIN came down bright and early this morning.  For those of you that have not seen the tug LUCIN it is a 1950’s era tug brought in by Trestlewood to help them pull out the old trestle.  She is a 55 foot long diesel burning tug and she was quite the site as she motored from Promontory Marina down the lake.  In fact, that old diesel engine was burning enough black smoke that drivers along I-80 were calling dispatch and reporting a boat on fire on the lake.  I had to field some frantic calls from dispatch telling them things were just fine.

The LUCIN arrived around 9:30am and went right to work.  She draws six feet and has a 54” prop.  The LUCIN grounded right away just coming into the mouth of the marina.  When she left she was no longer touching bottom.

I want to express a word of caution here.  The LUCIN really went to town.  We know material was dislodged from the side break wall and shifted into the mouth itself.  This was early on in the process.  This material was likely blown out of the mouth later in the process. The mouth and part of the marina is now the consistency and color of chocolate milk.  Some of this sediment will fall back down and into the mouth.  Our depth sounders will be useless until at least tomorrow and more likely Wednesday due to all the suspended sediment.  And the mouth has an interesting aroma.

But there is also some good news we know of;  The current and wind were just strong enough and from the right direction today that most of the suspended sediment and aroma drifted west of the marina.

The LUCIN team used a probe to sound the mouth.  And I am very cautious here but the results (SO FAR) seem to be more than we could have hoped for.  Remember I earlier stated that the LUCIN draws six feet and ran aground coming into the marina mouth.  As they were probing they were coming up with depths of 8.5 feet to 9.5 feet after their efforts.  If this holds to be the case we should be back where we were four years ago when we last dredged where the mouth is, once again, two or more feet deeper than the marina itself.

We also ran the tug down the main channel of the marina and between ‘J’ and ‘K’ dock to push down the hump between the two docks.

The marina mouth is now open.  But please use extreme caution for awhile until we can thoroughly sound the mouth and can determine if we have any unexpected humps.

Dave Shearer

Harbor Master

Great Salt Lake State Marina

Antelope Island State Marina

801-209-9142