Posted on June 11, 2019
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — The eagerly anticipated Anclote River dredging project is once again expected to move forward after $3 million in federal funding set aside for the effort was diverted last year.
The office of Rep. Gus Bilirakis announced last month that the funding was reinstated.
“I think it’s a valuable asset for the city of Tarpon Springs to have this port dredged to make it easier. Also, to have the safety factor increase,” said Anthony Adrianos, who works as a relief skipper in waterways across Tampa Bay, including the Anclote.
According to Bilirakis’s office, silt buildup has led to extremely shallow waters along the river. Some spots reach levels of just three feet at low tide.
“In my boat, I don’t really worry about it, but I see the bigger boats,” said Raymond Stansel, a commercial sponge diver. “If you’ve got a deep draft boat or you’re not very experienced and don’t follow the channel markers very good, yeah – you could have a serious problem.”
That’s reportedly stopped larger boats from docking in Tarpon Springs to unload their cargo, negatively impacting some Tampa Bay industries.
Mayor Chris Alahouzos said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects the project to take about a year. He said dredging could start in the next couple of months.
Source: baynews9.com
