Cleanup of Historic Minesweeper Completed in Little Potato Slough

STOCKTON, California — A contractor working for the U.S. Coast Guard has finished removing the oil-soaked hull of a wooden minesweeper, the HMCS Chaleur, from Little Potato Slough. This marks the last large vessel removal in a cleanup effort targeting the wreck-ridden waterway on the outskirts of Stockton.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has long been a resting place for derelict vessels. Historically, the Suisun Bay area of the Sacramento River was home to numerous decaying government ships maintained by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), many of which have since been towed away to resolve environmental concerns. However, abandoned private vessels continue to clutter the narrow waterways, with Little Potato Slough gaining notoriety for its sunken ships.

The Coast Guard initiated a large-scale cleanup operation to remove hazardous wrecks from the area, financed by the Oil Pollution Liability Trust Fund. Among these efforts was an operation focusing on the Chaleur, a 140-foot wooden-hulled minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from the 1950s until the late 1990s. The vessel had deteriorated significantly after being resold multiple times and moored at a closed marina, where it eventually sank.

Beginning in July, the Coast Guard assigned California-based contractor Power Engineering Construction to dismantle the Chaleur. Crews utilized a crane barge and divers who cut the wreck into manageable sections. The operation was successful, and the last piece of the oil-saturated hull was lifted from the water, concluding a process that also involved removing 400 gallons of oil products and about 500 feet of contaminated boom.

“This was a success,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Leahey, the Coast Guard’s incident commander for the project. “Power Engineering Construction did a fantastic job.” He reiterated the point that although this section of the Delta is now free of major wrecks, numerous other abandoned vessels remain.

“There are dozens more wrecks throughout the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta,” Leahey stated. “This one just happened to threaten water, wildlife, and people all at once.”