The benefits of hydraulic dredging

Today, there are basically two approaches to dredging or excavating a lake— hydraulic or mechanical dredging. Thomas Dredging recommends, and uses exclusively, hydraulic dredging because of the ability to precisely remove sediment, preserve aquatic life, and protect the shoreline.

Mechanical dredging, on the other hand, requires heavy equipment working around much of the shoreline and may or may not require draining the lake. This often results in shoreline disruption and can have a significant impact on aquatic life.

The approach used by Thomas Dredging involves hydraulic dredges which float on the water. There is a single entry/exit point, limiting shoreline disruption. Sediment or sand is removed by a cutter head on the bottom of the lake floor through a discharge pipe (like a giant vacuum), and then pumped to a predetermined location.  Material can be removed precisely to achieve the desired lake floor configuration.

Thomas Dredging is always aware of the recreational and environmental impacts of dredging, and works to assure our dredging sites are clean and cause as little interference with ongoing operations as possible.