“Our hopper dredges are officially off and running (hopping?) *remembers that hopper dredges don’t actually hop* Guess they don’t run, either,” the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Facebook. “Right. Well, the dredging season is underway.

“Our two hopper dredges, the Essayons and the Yaquina, officially left Portland last week to start the 2025 dredging season. First up: Grays Harbor, Washington, and Humboldt, California.

“From now through November, these massive seagoing vessels will spend their days (24/7) sucking up sand, silt and sediments from the floor of our region’s entrance bars, rivers and harbors to maintain them for safe and reliable ship transit.”

“How many firearms per year do you find in the hoppers?” one poster inquired. Since the Portland District can rarely resist a giggle (or groan) inducing reply, the answer was: “Usually, if we find any arms in the hopper bins, they are not on fire.”

“Does any of the ‘dredge’ get relocated to a needy beach?” another asked. The response: “Not the dredge itself, but the material that is collected by the dredge is often distributed as part of ‘beneficial use’ projects, such as renourishing shorelines to combat erosion.”

“Safe travels, break a leg, or whatever is the correct dredging way to wish them a safe journey,” a poster added. The answer to this thorny question is: “Let’s go with ‘Break some wind!’ You know, because of the movement of the vessel and the wind in the crewmembers’ hair as they … Actually, scratch that.” (Photo: Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)