Barge traffic brings more rocks -- and tourists, too?

With the launch of new barge, even more big rocks and sand will be coming up the Petaluma River. Oddly, it might be great for tourism.

June 14, 2006

By DANE GOLDEN
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

A new 4,000-ton barge was launched in the Petaluma River earlier this month, and, believe it or not, it could bring more tourists here, albeit indirectly.

That's because the greater the commercial traffic on the Petaluma River, the higher priority it becomes for the Army Corps of Engineers, charged with keeping commercial waterways clear.

The Corps last dredged the Petaluma River in 2003, when its traffic was 300,000 tons. Now Shamrock Materials and its partner, Landing Way Depot, which owns the new barge, plan to dramatically increase their traffic, possibly pushing the river's traffic to over one million tons a year by 2007, according to Jeff Nehmens, chief operating officer for Shamrock Materials.

The two companies are coordinating with a Canadian company to import rock from British Columbia due to reduced supply from Sonoma County quarries.

And if the waterway is clear for commercial traffic, it's also clear for those with more recreational interests in mind. Particularly for boats coming in from elsewhere in the Bay Area, such as the more than 60 boats that came up the river to the Turning Basin for Memorial Day Weekend events at the Petaluma Yacht Club (and to do some shopping, no doubt).

Unfortunately, one boat, which anchored too closely to a roped-off area, got stranded at low tide.

The Corps, however, is not responsible for the Turning Basin, the city is. Right now, the city and FEMA are working to create a dredging plan which would use part of $1.29 million in federal aid received after the flood. The project would call for the removal of up to 30,000 cubic yards of silt.

COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC ON THE PETALUMA RIVER

1905: 133,00 tons

2003: 300,000 tons

2007 (estimated): 1 million tons

Sources: "History of Petaluma, A California River Town" by Adair Lara; Jeff Nehmens of Shamrock Materials

(Contact Dane Golden at dgolden@arguscourier.com)