How much does dredging cost? Why can dredging be expensive?

Dredging a lake may cost more than you expect.  It takes specialized equipment and personnel to remove and dewater thousands or tens of thousands of cubic yards from a lake.  Most people don’t realize how much muck is beneath the lake surface.  Removing, transporting, and disposing of wet mud is much more difficult than traditional dirt grading on land.  The cost to dredge can be as little as a few dollars per cubic yard for large projects that only pump sludge from one place to another without interruption.  However, lake dredging usually involves sediment that changes in type (sandy vs. silty), content (trash, logs, sticks, leaves, rocks, etc.), water depth, and sediment thickness.  These factors inhibit the dredge from pumping non-stop and to its peak performance.  Dewatering the sediment is often the limiting factor.  Limited space, time, and type of sediment slows the process of turning a completely sloppy mud into dirt you can grade or transport efficiently.  Therefore, the cost to dredge a lake ranges from $5,000 to $5,000,000.  However most projects can have a dramatic impact on a lake within the cost range of $50,000 to $250,000.