Dredging in shallow water area has been a challenge for large trailing suction hopper dredger （TSHD）. Based on project conditions，this article explores the feasibility of dredging operation in shallow water where the water depth does not meet the designed minimum draught of the ship by pumping，bypassing，and opening the front mud door for loading in combination with a dredging integrated control system. Based on the case study of a dredging project in a port basin in eastern Africa，it is proved that this new dredging method can optimize the draught and improve dredging ability in the shallow water of large TSHD.