Abstract: A generally horizontal pipe extends across the bottom of a waterway to be dredged and, in some embodiments is connected to a suction pump at or below the low water level. Lateral passageways are distributed along the length of the horizontal pipe with a number of smaller orifices located along the pipe's length between the passageways. Any sediment build-up above a passageway and several nearby smaller orifices, which may be due to a passageway being clogged with a large object, is cleared by a manually operated source of high pressure fluid where fluid jet streams are directed against the build-up of sediment in a manner so as to churn or break up the sediment build-up and permit the sediment to be drawn into adjacent passageways and orifices.

Abstract: A generally horizontal, perforated pipe extends across the bottom of a waterway to be dredged and, in some embodiments, is connected to a suction pump above the water level. The perforations in the horizontal pipe are cleaned of debris by a plurality of horizontal nozzles supplied with water under high pressure which direct high velocity water streams across each perforation to mix with sand along the bottom of the waterway and thereby abrade any obstructions which have settled over the perforations.