Birdon was awarded a three-year contract by South Australia Water Corporation for the dredging of the Murray mouth entrance and adjacent channels which was extended by another three years.The project involved two cutter suction dredges plus a booster pump operating on a 24 hour day, seven days per week basis.
The Murray Mouth, near Goolwa in South Australia, is a dynamic system influenced by the flow of Murray River water through the barrages and tidal movement from the Southern Ocean.
Periods of low flow, such as the Millennium Drought in 2002, have led to the mouth threatening to close. The mouth was dredged for eight years from 2002 to 2010, during the Millennium Drought, to keep it open.
Birdon began work in 2007 and continued to 2010. Birdon was then awarded a further three-year contract which was suspended in 2011 when flood waters negated the need for continual dredging.
The contract was a turn key solution involving provision of all plant, equipment labour and services including construction of pipeline, operation of cutter suction dredge, booster, work boats plant machinery and associated equipment and vessels.
