Posted on November 17, 2025
Middlesex County Planning Director David Kretz brought some good news to the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in that the Mill Creek Landing in Wake may be dredged in the next three to four weeks.
Kretz indicated he had communicated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) officials and he was assured that permits will be approved for the county to hire a firm to dredge the sand away from the waterfront opening of the ramp.
The board unanimously approved $3,513.60 to pay for the purchase of “matts” and other equipment to have William Wright of Harmony Village oversee the dredging process. The firm that dredges the sand will take the material as compensation, said Kretz.
Evidently, concerns over disturbing tiger beetles were dismissed. Kretz cautioned the board in October that what he thought would be a routine maintenance dredge permit process for Mill Creek Landing could be delayed because of the “potential” presence of northeastern beach tiger beetles on sand dunes east of the landing. At the November meeting there was no mention of the beetles.
Kretz reminded the board that the proposed dredge was just a “band-aid” in the overall scope of the process. The county has been maintenance dredging the site every 10 to 12 months. Almost as soon as the sand is removed, wind, tide and seas push the sand back in front of the landing.
Middlesex has been working with the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission (PDC) and others to find a more permanent solution to keeping the landing open.
Bad news
Kretz had some bad news too. The Mill Creek Landing property is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation and was originally maintained by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR).
“We got a letter from DWR officials that they no longer want anything to do with the Mill Creek Landing,” said Kretz. “This is not good news as we were hoping for strong partnerships to work together to find a way to keep the ramp open.
Deltaville boat ramp
Middlesex supervisors recently loaned the Middlesex Economic Development Authority (EDA) $1 million to purchase 21 acres of land in the Deltaville community where potentially a boat ramp for the eastern end of Middlesex county could be built and maintained.
Although it is unclear what the EDA has in mind for the property, with a boat ramp it could over time take potential pressure off the use of the Mill Creek landing site and the ongoing maintenance.
Praise for Kretz
County Administrator Matt Walker praised the job that Kretz did in one month to find a path to get permits to dredge the ramp. “Dave did in one month what myself and ‘Lewie’ (Lewis L.) Lawrence (of the PDC) could not do in six months. He deserves a lot of credit for finding the right people to make this work.”
