Posted on August 15, 2022
In Delaware, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has now begun an emergency dredging project to restore the Murderkill River.
Officials say the area was last dredged in 2014 and since then sand has migrated into the channel and made it difficult for boats to get in and out.
The $2.3 million dollar project will allow the waterway to be more passable for commercial and recreational boating. The project funding comes from the state’s appropriations made under the fiscal year 2022 and 2023 Bond Bills.
Both named the Murderkill River a dredging priority. DNREC personnel tell 47ABC that this move is crucial for emergency services to help aid in any disasters that could potentially arise.
“The emergency response capabilities coming out of the Murderkill inlet are unique as highlighted in May by the barge fire in the Delaware Bay,” Program Administrator for DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section Jessie Hayden said.
“So ensuring that they have safe access in and out of that inlet is a critical matter.”
The project will also allow sand to help strengthen the beach in Dunes at South Bowers to help protect the area’s infrastructure.
We’re told the project is slated to wrap up by the end of August.
