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Contractor To Remove Derelict Vessels, Log Jam From Escambia River
February 4, 2013
Escambia County is set to award a contract to remove derelict vessels and clear a log jam from a section of the Escambia River near McDavid.
The county commission will vote later this week on a $68,498 contract to be awarded to Florida Forest Recyclers, LLC to remove the vessels and associated debris — including thousands of logs — from the Escambia River about one river mile north of the Cotton Lake boat ramp.
The company will remove derelict vessels and associated debris that have shut down river traffic for years.
The bid from Florida Forest Recyclers was over a half million dollars lower than bids received from two Alabama companies. A $527,000 bid was received from Crowder Gulf Joint Ventures of Theodore, while DRC Emergency Services, LLC bid $792,622.14.
Pictured top: A logjam stretches bank to bank, blocking the Escambia River near McDavid (courtesy photo). Pictured below: An abandoned boat along the Escambia River. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
26 Responses to “Contractor To Remove Derelict Vessels, Log Jam From Escambia River”
There are folks who simply want to paddle this river from locations up in Alabama all the way to the bay. When will this project get under way? What is the hold up? The river is low enough now in mid-August 2014 to be working on it. What would it take to get started on making the Conecuh / Escambia river one that we can truly be proud of as a river trail that we can all enjoy.
7 others and myself just completed a 139 mile kayak/canoe trip from the Sepulga River in McKenzie, Al. to Swamp House Marina in Pensacola. Of course we already knew about the log jam but with water at flood stage during our trip, we felt we could possibly make out way around it by going through the swamps to the left of jam. We spent 5.5 hours in swamp before getting back to main river flow. My question is what are the politics involved that this hasn’t been cleaned up before now ? Also thought it was very strange there were no warning signs to people of may not know about the jam. I ran my kayak to the edge of jam and almost was unable to paddle up stream the get out of the swift current there and am surprised no one has been sucked under jam by now.
I AM THE PERSON GOING TO DO THIS PROJECT. THE OTHER BIDDERS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PERMITS LIMIT YOU TO AS FAR AS EQUIPMENT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO USE. I HAVE PUT 2 YEARS OF MY LIFE GETTING SEVERAL PERMITS TO DO THIS. IT IS NOT MONEY THAT I AM DOING THIS FOR, IT IS PROTECT A RIVER THAT I HAVE LOVED ALL MY LIFE. I SPEND AT LEAST ONE THIRD OF MY TIME DOING VOLUTEER WORK THAT NOBODY ELSE WILL DO BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. IF IT WAS NOT FOR EXPENSES, INSURANCES, FUELS,AND SUCH I WOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR FREE. BEFORE YOU SPEAK ABOUT SOMEBODY YOU SHOULD KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I remember about three years ago a friend of mine slipped down through a log jam that we were clearing and the logs were shifting. The only thing you could see was his forearm sticking up through the water. A big, younger man who was working with us grabbed his hand and snatched him up, before the opening closed, saving him from surely drowning.
I think of the heat, humidity and water moccasins, I hope they get started before summer.
CALL THE SWAMP MAN FROM LOUISIANA. HE’LL REMOVE THE LOGS FOR NOTHING.
REGARDING:
“If it was legal they wouldn’t need to pay someone to pull it out I would take a few logs every day I had off.”
Seriously, they might let you subcontract part of the work, especially if you would work for free.
David for win-win situations
The $68000+ dollars is probably to pay for the permits???
If it was legal they wouldn’t need to pay someone to pull it out I would take a few logs every day I had off.
A couple dozen blasting cartridges would have turned that log jam to splinters.
Really one million? I don’t think there is that much money to be made in salvaged wood. There are at least 2 contractors that obviously agree with me.
What about the boat that is stuck on Escambia River Under Jay Bridge which is has been there for years its eventually going to cause severe problems later down the road?????
I think of the log jams that I have helped cut out over the years. Whatever happened to the days when a group of guys got together in boats with saws, cables and comealongs and cleared the jam, or at least cut a path through it?
It seems that these days you need a permit for everything under the sun.
I hope this venture exceeds the contractor’s expectations and that no one gets
injured in the process.
I just hope they wrote the contract to address the change orders. If those logs are not as good as someone thinks they are then someone’s going to want that extra money.
For the company awarded the contract with a bid close to $500,000 less than the competitors, they apparently did some homework.
There is big money to be made in the old sinker logs that litter all of the river. Its a win-win for all that is involved.
Does this mean that canoes and kayaks will be able to go all the way to Escambia Bay after the log jam is removed?
>>>So “in the know” if the wood in the logjam is worth a million bucks. Why did they wait until someone paid them 68 grand to go get it?
The company, it s principals and others tried for years to get a permit to remove the logs. But the state would not grant the permit…so now they get the permits and get paid to remove the logs.
So “in the know” if the wood in the logjam is worth a million bucks. Why did they wait until someone paid them 68 grand to go get it? Heck, with a million dollar return you would think someone would have already gotten the wood. Personally, I think you have mistakenly inflated the price by probably 900 thousand bucks but, nothing wrong with pipe dreams.
Just me,
That was good, funny and true.
David for landmarks and height monitors
Nooooo don’t remove the BOAT-O-METER! That’s how we tell if the river is up or down!
What alot of people need to know is this Boat, was in someones yard up river. when Ivan came it took it out of someones yard, and thats how long its been in the river. from what I understand the owner lost there home also.
Oh… that’s where we parked it!
Maybe we should find the owner’s of these derelict boats and have them pick up part of the tab.
There’s a simple reason Florida **Forest Recyclers** was the low bid. They are group of people smart enough to know the old logs are worth millions. 100 year old logs from Alger-Sullivan at the bottom of the pile are worth probably well over $1 million on the wood market. There’s big bucks in recovered wood.
Clearing up all that debris for less than $69K? While the other two bidders were over $450K more?? Although I hope this work can be completed for this small amount…..I wouldn’t bet on it.
That’s a big difference in the bids. Remember you get what you pay for. Hope it works out but am afraid that company has severely underbid.
I agree, It’s about time. This is great news!
Its about time been waiting on this for years now. Hope they get the job done right and affectivly