Posted on February 28, 2019
(Photo: WBOC)
OCEAN CITY, Md. – The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, State of Maryland, and Worcester County have signed a Project Partnership Agreement to start work on a navigation improvement project to address sediment accumulation, or shoaling, in the Ocean City Inlet.
The navigation channel is used by commercial fishermen, as well as recreational boaters. The Corps removes material several times a year through dredging; however, it continues to fill in with material, like sand, creating navigation issues.
Fishermen say shallow waters sometimes cause boats to run aground, leading to costly repairs.
“When I was in my late teens, the entirety of the inlet was navigable. It’s only on the south side of the inlet where we have good water now. All this is filling up with sand,” said Captain Monty Hawkins.
Through the “Ocean City Harbor and Inlet” navigation project, the Corps will evaluate sediment transport in the inlet and recommend options for addressing shoaling to include structural solutions like jetties or channel modifications like deepening the channel in the inlet.
However, no options have been solidified at this time.
Jacqueline Seiple, Project Manager with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, said the partnership allows them to move into the design and implementation phase of a sustainable solution.
Seiple said the goal is to have a recommendation for the solution in early 2020. She also said the hope is to begin construction in early 2021.
WBOC-TV 16, Delmarvas News Leader, FOX 21 –
Source: wboc.com
