Posted on July 26, 2021
PLYMOUTH – Dredging will resume in Plymouth Harbor this winter.
The state awarded the town a $1.3 million matching grant Thursday to dredge more than 22,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Town Wharf basin. The town had already approved its $1.3 million matching share of the cost.
Harbormaster Chad Hunter said the town will solicit bids for the project as soon as possible. He expects work to begin in late fall and finish before spring.
The town had originally planned to dredge the area around Town Wharf in 2019, when it contracted to clear sediment from around the T Wharf and Mayflower II’s berth at state pier. The Town Wharf portion of the plan was scrapped after a determination that sediment from around Town Wharf would have to disposed inland at considerably higher cost than anticipated.
The $1.3 million state grant is one of nine dredging projects funded by the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development last week.
Records show that the Town Wharf basin has not been dredged since 1956.
Current conditions make the basin impassible for many vessels during low tides, restricting navigation and causing boats to rest in mud for long periods.
The dredging will restore all-tide access for recreational and commercial users, including numerous charter fishing boats as well as whale watching vessels.
Under normal weather conditions, the work should take less than two months to complete. Hunter said he expects work to start in late fall or early winter, when the harbor is mostly empty.
