Posted on May 15, 2026
Commercial fishermen and oyster farmers in Panacea say sediment buildup in local channels is making it dangerous and costly to operate, and there is no dredging planned for the foreseeable future.
WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — Channel markers at the Rock Landing Boat Ramp in Panacea mark the path local commercial fishermen and oystermen use to reach the Gulf — but many parts of that channel are quite shallow due to nearly 50 years without dredging.
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dredging is the process of removing sediment and other material from the bottom of bodies of water. It is a routine process to help maintain the depth of waterways.
The Army Corps of Engineers confirmed the Panacea Harbor was last dredged in 1976. A Corps representative said the agency only maintains federally authorized projects. For Wakulla County, that includes the St. Marks River and Panacea Harbor, also known as Rock Landing Marina.
Allen Byrd, an oyster farmer with Saucy Lady Oysters, said the sediment buildup extends into the middle of the channel.
“It’s a big deal. It’s basically like, you know, having a road that has a tree across it, you know, we can’t get through it, so, but dredging has to be maintained, and the sands just filled up throughout the years. And it’s been close to 50 years since this has been maintenance dredged,” Byrd said.
Byrd said the shallow conditions force some local operators to work out of ports in Franklin County, such as Apalachicola. Low tides compound the problem, making it even harder to navigate the already shallow channels.
“The oyster farming business, we have to be in at a certain time, you know, throughout the year. So, you know, sometimes the tides don’t really work with us good. And with a low tide, we can’t get in, you know, and the shrimp boats coming in, where we’re having a problem is that it’s just so shallow. And also too, with the crab boats, you know. So there are certain times of the year that, you know, it’s basically, it’s not the commercial guys either. There are marinas here with other boats coming in and out of the channel,” Byrd said.
Deborah Logan of My Way Seafood said the lack of dredging puts larger boats at risk of damage when navigating the channel. She said repairs can cost thousands of dollars and result in months of lost revenue.
“You got to pull it out, find a time to pull it out, and find a place to pull it out where they will be able to pull the bigger boats. So you can work on the bottom of the boat, and then if you mess up a prop or a wheel, as they call it, whatever, and then you have to fiberglass the bottom and, you know, just find somebody to do that and help with all that work,” Logan said. “And spend extra money, which we don’t have.”
John Harley of Serenoa Shellfish and Florida Premium Oysters said the industry is worth protecting.
“You know, it’s a beneficial industry to have, you know, if you got healthy seafood populations, that benefits everybody, and people working in those industries also,” Harley said. “We got some of the best seafood in the world. And so we just want to keep that going.”
The county confirmed the Mashes Sands Boat Ramp area — located a little over 4 miles away — was last dredged in 2007 and can qualify for new dredging funds in 2027.
