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A side-boom dredge is a specialized type of dredge that discharges material directly overside. This arrangement is designed to work with tidal currents, allowing the removed silt to be carried away by the tide. Dredges, in general, are large floating devices used for underwater excavation. Their primary purposes include maintaining or creating depths in waterways, obtaining fill for land creation, constructing control works, and recovering valuable subaqueous deposits or marine life. Dredges are broadly categorized as mechanical or hydraulic, with numerous specialized designs and combinations existing within these classes.1

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