The Regional Delegation for Sustainability and the Environment in Huelva, Spain, has authorised dredging work at Ayamonte Marina. The project aims to restore the original depths of the marina basin and its entrance channel to maintain safe navigation and preserve port operations.
Ayamonte Marina currently provides 316 berths across nine mooring piers. According to Europa Press, the dredging will focus on the existing basin geometry and entrance, without affecting any new or untouched areas.
A bathymetric survey conducted in 2021 revealed significant depth loss inside the basin and at its mouth. The proposed dredging will restore depth in three zones: an inner area to -2.50 metres, matching the original berth project; an intermediate zone to -3.00 metres, linked to the 2003 berth expansion; and the entrance channel to -3.50 metres, the same depths reached in 2015.
Due to the muddy nature of the sediment, mechanical bucket or clamshell dredgers are recommended for the task. These vessels are suitable for confined spaces between mooring pontoons and small areas. The dredgers should be under 30 metres in length, with a beam no wider than ten metres and a loaded draught below three metres.
The Guadiana River bar only allows dredger passage at high tide, so equipment must be capable of discharging at least 2,000 cubic metres per day over two shifts.
The dredged material will be discharged directly into the sea at a depth of at least 40 metres, a location previously authorised for similar projects dating back to 2006. The disposal site has been used in past dredging works at Ayamonte and the nearby port of Isla Cristina.
The environmental impact assessment notes that the dredging will restore functional depth but will not remove sediments deposited before the last dredging. Not carrying out the dredging would lead to silting that could severely hinder vessel access and movement within the marina.
The project is expected to support the creation and maintenance of full-time jobs in the Guadiana estuary area and bring positive effects to the local economy. Complementary services at the marina include a 2.5-tonne forklift and diesel fuel supply.
