Posted on June 7, 2023
The dredging of Milford Harbor is scheduled to begin mid-October, according to Milford’s chief of staff, Justin Rosen.
Rosen said the city of Milford was granted $5 million in federal funding for testing, permitting and dredging the Federal Channel and Federal Anchorage and removing and replacing the mooring tackle, including Helix anchors and Seaflex downlines.
“The dredging project will greatly improve the navigability of the harbor and be a catalyst for further economic activity in our downtown area,” Rosen said.
In 2022, the City of Milford was granted funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In addition, the 2022 Water Resources Development Act 2022 also included the project.
Rosen said Milford Harbor is home to three commercial marinas, Milford Yacht Club, city-owned Lisman Landing, National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service CT Aquaculture Lab and about 100 private docks.
Eleven government-owned vessels, including homeland security vessels, two fire boats, and two police boats, which are regional assets and the city rescue/dive team use the dock.
It also houses about 250 dry summer storage spaces, 1,313 recreational docks, and 19 commercial vessels, and about 500 boat ramp stickers are issued annually. In addition, a consistent flow of seasonal transient visits each year.
The proposed project is part of a larger scale, multi-phase plan to increase the harbor’s recreational use to improve the economic, environmental and safety of Milford residents and visitors.
