Coast Guard scheduled to open seasonal stations on South Coast, May 25

The Coast Guard is scheduled to open its two southern Oregon seasonal stations in Bandon and Gold Beach again this summer.  The seasonal station in Gold Beach is planned to open after dredging of the Rogue River Federal Navigation Project is complete. Weather permitting, this will occur around mid-July. The Coquille River station in Bandon is expected to open on Memorial Day weekend. Starting on May 25th, personnel from Station Chetco River will be in Gold Beach periodically to conduct shore-side patrols, education and outreach emphasizing boating safety. The Coast Guard operates seasonal stations during periods of increased recreational vessel traffic and fishing activity to help ensure the safety of the maritime community. This normally coincides with the summer boating season from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers were unable to complete dredging at Gold Beach during the in-water work window for 2017.  The sediment in the Federal Navigation Channel was coarser than anticipated, which caused failure to the dredging equipment. The equipment downtime extended beyond the in-water work window and into the beginning of the salmon migration season. The temporary assignment of Coast Guard personnel and assets to these seasonal stations does not diminish the parent stations ability to respond to emergencies. For other dredging-related questions or concerns, please contact Jeff Henon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at (503) 808-4510.