Construction work continues at the Des Moines Marina, and here’s the latest update straight from the fish’s mouth:

Dear Marina Neighbors, Tenants and Other Interested Parties:

Good news!  IMCO General Construction is close to completing the dredging work at the new travel lift bay between M- and N-Docks.  As they will have met enough of their dredging goals for this week, IMCO will not be working tomorrow, Friday, August 6, or Saturday, August 7, as previously reported.

Beginning next week, IMCO will dredge and create a new rock slope in the guest moorage area of the Marina. In this particular area, tidal effects on the flowing sand subgrade will require them to schedule their work beginning each day when the tide is no higher than approximately +5’ MLLW and headed out. Therefore, IMCO General Construction has requested and received approval to work the following hours this coming week:

• Monday, August 9, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (regular hours)
• Tuesday, August 10, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 11, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
• Thursday, August 12, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
• Friday, August 13, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm (if needed)

Approval for the extended work hours included the following conditions:

1. The Contractor is required to comply with all noise requirements established by the City’s Municipal Code and WAC 173-60; and
2. Construction lighting shall be directed away from residential areas and is limited to lighting needed to safely illuminate the work zone as established by industry standards.

If you have any questions regarding the work to be performed or the extended hours the Contractor will be working, please don’t hesitate to contact me or the Marina Office (206-824-5700).

Doreen Torseth
Contract Administrator
North Marina Combined Projects
City of Des Moines
206.212.6372 (phone)

The City of Des Moines is starting a Youth Sailing Program that will offer sailing experiences to boys and girls ages 11 to 18, with the first session beginning Monday, Aug. 2nd.

The program will offer on-the-water sailing instruction in 14-foot sailboats and dockside learning activities. The sessions will be held at the Des Moines Marina and are designed for kids with little or no sailing experience.

The course will cover safety on the water, sailing basics, sailboat nomenclature, wind awareness, rigging, rules of the road, and boating etiquette. Instructors in power boats will accompany the students in the boats while they are on the water.

The fee for a one-week session is $130 and some scholarships are available. Registration forms are available at the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, 1000 South 220th Street in Des Moines. The Phone number is 206-870-6527.

Students need sneakers, appropriate clothing and a Coast Guard approved life jacket, preferably the kayak type. Students will also be required to take a float test on the first day of class. The test will be conducted at Mount Rainier Pool.

Session dates are:

• Session 1: August 2 – 6 Start time 1:00 pm
• Session 2: August 9 – 13 Start time 1:00 pm
• Session 3: August 16 – 20 Start time 5:00 pm
• Session 4: August 23 – 27 Start Time 1:00 pm

To download registration documents, click here (Word .doc file), or call Des Moines Parks at (206) 870-6527.

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Story & Photos by Michael Brunk

There’s something lurking under the placid waters of the Des Moines Marina. It’s growing. And it’s hungry! Sea monster? Nope! It’s a school of nearly 30,000 young Coho salmon.

The fish are part of a project managed by the Duwamish-Green Chapter of Trout Unlimited and sponsored by the Washington Department of Fisheries, with support from the City of Des Moines and the marina. The fish came from the Soos Creek hatchery in Auburn, and were loaded into a floating pen at the marina in late January. When they’re released sometime in May, the fish will be around a year and a half old.

The exact timing of the release will be set by Trout Unlimited chapter president John Muramatsu and project director Darrel Miller. When they determine the fish are ready, two sides of the net that holds them will be dropped and the fish will swim away.

According to Trout Unlimited’s Andy Batcho, the fish will return to Des Moines again when they’re about three years old. Unlike wild salmon, fish introduced using a “delayed release” program such as this one won’t migrate to Alaska. Instead, they’ll stay in the Puget Sound and Straits of Juan de Fuca and provide a year-round salmon fishery.

I tagged along this past weekend with Trout Unlimited member John Nelson – better known for his role in coordinating the annual Brat Trot and Cove to Clover runs – to observe the evening feeding on Sunday. John brought along a young work crew to help distribute the commercial salmon feed to the young fish.

The fish will continue to be fed twice a day, seven days a week until their release in May.

Here’s a Photo Slideshow of Sunday’s feeding:

Click to Play Michael Brunk’s Slideshow

Construction on Des Moines Marina north parking lot continues, and soon IMCO General Construction will be performing “quite a bit” of electrical and parking lot reconfiguration work, closing it to all vehicle traffic from April 19th to May 3rd.

In order to perform this work safely, Des Moines cityfolk tell us that even the North Parking Lot will be closed, pedestrians will still be able to access the fishing pier and walkway along Dock Avenue South.

The Marina Office and all other Marina facilities/businesses will remain open and may be accessed via the Marina entrance at S. 227th Street.

Beginning Tuesday, April 13, mobile reader boards will advise drivers of the scheduled North Parking Lot closure as well as the closure of the Beach Park parking areas.

On Monday, April 19, “Road Closed” signs will direct vehicle traffic away from Cliff Avenue S. beginning at both S. 223rd St./6th Ave. S. and S. 222nd St./5th Ave. S. Local access for residents will still be allowed.

If you have any questions or concerns, you are asked to contact Doreen Torseth at the Marina Office (206-824-5700).

We just received an update from the city that construction work at the Des Moines Marina will not be taking place Saturday (Feb. 20th), as previously reported.

Work is scheduled to resume again Wednesday, Feb. 24th beginning at 8am.

So enjoy your brief respite folks, especially if this sunny weather holds on!

Here’s the letter we received:

Dear Marina Neighbors and Friends,

IMCO General Construction will not be working tomorrow, Saturday, February 20, as originally planned.

However, IMCO has received conditional approval to perform pile driving activities from 8:00 a.m. to  8:00 p.m. next week beginning Wednesday, February 24, through Saturday, February 27.  City of Des Moines Development Services have granted approval with the following conditions:

1. The construction site must be completely shut down for the day, to include turning off the construction lighting, by 8:30 PM each night.
2. The contractor is required to comply with all noise requirements established by the City’s Municipal Code and WAC 173-60.
3. Construction lighting shall be directed away from the residential areas and limited to lighting needed to safely illuminate the work zone as established by industry standards.
4. Daily noise monitoring reports demonstrating compliance with the City’s Municipal Code and WAC 173-60 must be provided to the City the next day following each night of work.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding IMCO’s scheduled work.

As always, thank you for your patience and understanding during the on-going construction.

Doreen Torseth
Contract Administrator
North Marina Combined Projects
City of Des Moines
206.212.6372

The Des Moines Marina will be holding an Open House on Saturday, Feb. 27th from 1pm to 4pm, in the parking lot adjacent to the Marina Office, in an effort to explain progress of the new bulkhead and other related projects.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Open House at the Des Moines Marina

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27th from 1pm to 4pm

WHERE: Parking lot of the Marina, next to the main office.

INFO: Here’s a letter that was sent out by the Marina folks:

Dear Marina Neighbors and Friends,

You are cordially invited to an Open House for the North Marina Combined Projects on Saturday, February 27, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the parking lot adjacent to the Marina Office.

This will be an opportunity for you to take an up-close look at the progress that is being made on the construction of the new bulkhead (and other related projects), to meet project team members, and to enjoy some food with your neighbors and friends.

We hope you will mark your calendar today!

Thanks,

Joe Dusenbury, Harbormaster/Project Manager
Doreen Torseth, Contract Administrator
City of Des Moines Marina
206-824-5700

If you’ve been down around the Des Moines Marina lately, you’ve probably seen lots of heavy construction equipment and workers busy working on the bulkhead.

We just received word that the current construction, having to do with pile driving and bulkhead work, has been extended to Saturday, Feb. 28th – so be forewarned and prepare for further delays and work.

Here’s a letter from the city about it:

Dear Marina Neighbors,

Last Friday, February 15, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) granted an extension of the in-water work window to February 28, 2010 for work on the North Marina Combined Projects.  This two-week extension will allow IMCO General Construction to continue with steel sheet pile driving in the area where the new bulkhead is on the water side of the existing bulkhead.  Currently, they are driving piles in the area just west of the Marina Office.  If IMCO is able to meet their pile driving goals during the next two weeks, they will have reached the point where the new bulkhead is to be constructed behind/land side of the existing bulkhead, thus allowing them to continue bulkhead construction out of the water.  In order to meet these goals, IMCO will work the next two Saturdays (February 20 and February 27).

Beginning tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 16), IMCO will also begin the storm drain upgrades involving the replacement/relocation of the 36” drain line and relocation of the 36” outfall.  The majority of this work will take place in the area between the north end of the dry sheds and the Marina office, and in the area between the two dry sheds.

To ensure the safety of Marina visitors and construction workers, additional pedestrian and vehicle access restrictions will need to be in place at times during the next two weeks. Pedestrians wishing to access the Guest Moorage area and the M & N Docks will be required to use a new fenced walkway to the north of the Marina Office as the path between the Marina office and restrooms will be blocked at the west end of the breezeway. During this time, parking will be limited to the area on the east side of the dry sheds.  Vehicles will not be allowed in the small parking lot behind the Marina office. Pedestrian and vehicle access to the area between the dry sheds and to the dry shed launch will also be prohibited during this two-week period.

The work scheduled to be accomplished during the next two weeks is key to a successful completion of the overall project. While the accompanying access restrictions may be inconvenient and frustrating, please remember that safety of both the workers and the public is the number one priority.

If you have any questions or need assistance in accessing specific areas within the Marina, please contact the Marina office (206-824-5700).

We appreciate your patience during this time.

Doreen Torseth
Contract Administrator
North Marina Combined Projects
City of Des Moines

According to the Des Moines Marina Construction website, IMCO General Construction will be working this Saturday, Jan. 30th, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the marina.

Saturday’s construction activities will be similar to last weekend, with the contractor using a vibratory hammer to drive the steel sheet pile to the design elevation.

The contractor has also indicated that they may begin using the hydraulic impact hammer for pile driving at some point next week.

As there are noise concerns when the use of an impact hammer is even mentioned, please be assured that noise levels will be monitored according to the Noise Monitoring Plan submitted by the contractor.

by Pat Nardo

Let me begin here please by saying that if ever a city employee deserved the title of loyal, dedicated civil servant, it is our own Harbormaster Joe Dusenbury. Now, while our marina looks like the proverbial war zone, Joe is striving to get the best “bang for the buck” in bringing it back to the proud destination that it was before improvements became urgently needed. So from our harbormaster comes the following news:

WATER MAIN:
The testing was completed last Friday and both water and sewer lines passed.  All of the sewer hook-ups are completed, but the contractor still has to cut the docks and the Marina buildings over to the new system. Paving restoration was scheduled to start on Wed. Sept. 9th. The north lot will be closed to all but condo residents and boat launch customers on that day. The north gate will remain closed all day, but the south entrance will be open, with traffic control.  The contractor plans to complete the north lot in one long day, but that work may spill over into the next day, so expect closures on Thursday (Sept. 10th) also.  The contractor will be working in the south lot at the same time.  They will work on one side (east or west) at a time and close the other side off. There will be detours and traffic control, so allow extra time to get in and out of the Marina on those days.  The paving contractor will have to return one more time to restore the pavement where the dock cut-overs are and any other areas left.  Of course, paving is 100% weather dependent, so stay tuned for changes in the plan.

N. MARINA COMBINED PROJECTS (Bulkhead):
We opened bids for the project last Thursday afternoon (Sept. 3rd). We only received three bids, but we did get a good bid from a company that seems to be ideal for our project.  IMCO General Construction, Inc., from Bellingham, does a lot of Marine projects, but they also do underground utilities, paving and storm water work. As you know, our project has major elements of all three in addition to the bulkhead replacement.  The project engineers, Moffatt Nichol, are reviewing the bids and expect to have a recommendation by next Tuesday or Wednesday. If all goes well, the staff plans to take the contract award to Council on the 10th (next Thursday).  The in-water construction window starts on Sept. 15th, so we are pushing hard to get the project started.

The above is a verbatim report and permission to print this was given by our Harbormaster on September 9, 2009.

Photo courtesy Carmen Scott.

The Boat Launch at the Des Moines Marina is on the verge of being eliminated, with one side claiming that the decline in boat launches is making this a money-losing “loss leader,” while on the other hand, if the launch is removed, some say it may “violate the rights of disabled.”

We’re working on a full story on this, but in the meantime, we’d like to ask you, our Readers:

What do YOU think should be done with the Boat Launch? Please answer our poll below: