Posted on July 9, 2025
POINT BREEZE – Dean Marine & Excavating Inc. from Michigan has big pieces of equipment in the Oak Orchard Harbor today. Dean has been scooping sediment from the harbor to make the channel more passable for boaters.
The Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $2 million contract to Dean Marine & Excavating to perform the dredging work at the oak Orchard and soon to follow, Great Sodus Bay.
A total of approximately 15,000 cubic yards of material from Oak Orchard is contracted to be dredged and placed in designated open lake sites. The harbor was last dredged in 2021. That followed a seven-year stretch when it was dredged in 2014.
Dredging of these harbors ensures accessible depths for vessels traveling the Great Lakes and enables recreational boating which supports more than $24 million in business revenue and labor income to the transportation sector combined, the Army Corps stated in a news release.
Oak Orchard Harbor is a shallow-draft harbor. Recreational boating facilitated by the harbor supports $6.8 million in business revenue, 94 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $6 million in labor income to the nation, the Army Corps said.
Great Sodus Bay also is a shallow-draft harbor on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Recreational boating facilitated by the harbor supports $9.3 million in business revenue, 142 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $8.7 million in labor income to the nation
Orleans County Legislator John Fitzak said the dredging at Oak Orchard took a lot work and collaboration. Fitzak said the cooperation with our federal delegation, in particular Congressman Morelle, was key. Morelle’s district briefly included approximately the northern half of Orleans, but another redistricting has since put Orleans totally in Cluadia Tenney’s district.
“When redistricting brought Congressman Morelle to Orleans County, we were eager to take him on a tour of community assets and he was very interested in learning about our federal priorities,” Fitzak said. “Among several issues, we focused on the importance of Oak Orchard Harbor to our local tourism and recreational economy and the need to ensure safe passage of boats through it. He was well aware of the dredging issue and wanted to help.”
Fitzak was also part of the local delegation that travels to Washington, DC each year to further lobby for community priorities.
“These trips allowed us to keep our top issues front and center, with federal leaders and paid off when funds were provided for dredging,” Fitzak said. “Our federal delegation delivered for us and we are very appreciative.”
This photo is from a boat launch looking north to the lake.
