The entrance to Wenona Harbor is becoming more dangerous because of the constant shifting of the sand and mud which have been accumulating there.
The local boaters are used to the situation and rarely run aground, but the visiting boaters run aground regularly. During the winter months the tides are even lower than usual and the boats need to get pulled through the channel, Delmarvanow.com reports.
Somerset County officials asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help them resolve the situation and dredge the harbor, but this has been the case since 2006 and no action was taken yet.
Somerset County Administrator Doug Taylor said: “ They told us in a roundabout way they’re not going to fund any more shallow draft projects. ”
Later the county asked the state for help and requested the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development to grant them $1.6 million for Lower Thorofare channel dredging.
Currently there are places that are 2 feet deep or less during a low tide, but the harbor should have a 60-foot channel and a 100-foot turning basin with a minimum depth of 7 feet.
Last year about $547,330 was spent on rehabilitation of the harbor, and in 2009 $1.3 million was used to purchase a surrounding area of the harbor. Taylor comments: “ We’ve spent all this money, but you can’t even get out of the harbor .”
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Dredging Today Staff, May 7, 2012;