A team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District’s River Operations Branch successfully cleared approximately 3,500 cubic yards of large rocks and other debris from Lake Providence in northeast Louisiana.
They utilized specialized equipment, including a Link Belt LS-818 300-ton lattice boom crawler crane named "Big Juicy," operated by Ron Holland and Patrick Jones, equipped with a 6CY clam shell to effectively remove the large rocks.
Colonel Christopher Klein, the MVK's Commander, emphasized the significance of navigation to the economy of the Lake Providence area. By removing the rocks, the Corps enabled deeper dredging, allowing navigation to continue at lower water levels.