2nd Meeting on Lake Ontario Dredging Plan

The Lake Ontario counties including Oswego, Cayuga, Wayne, Monroe, Orleans and Niagara, the City of Oswego and the Town of Greece are jointly undertaking an update and expansion of the Lake Ontario “Regional Dredging Management Plan” completed in 2000.

A public meeting to review findings and receive public feedback will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 19th at the Sodus Point Village Hall.

“Safe navigation through our recreational harbor channels provides access to public property, fishing resources and many other water-dependent recreational opportunities,” said David Turner, director of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. “These channels also provide safe harbors for regional and international tourists. Unfortunately, federal funding for maintenance dredging of shallow draft recreational channels has been severely limited, leaving some channels with restricted access. This regional plan will serve as a blueprint for efficient and sustainable maintenance of the harbors that are vital to our coastal communities and businesses.”

The November 19th meeting is the second meeting in the final round of public meetings that are planned before completion of the final Dredging Management Plan. The project advisory committee and its consultant will present economic impacts of business activity generated at 19 federal and non-federal harbors on the south shore of Lake Ontario, review their existing conditions and need for dredging, and outline the organizational structure and long-term financing alternatives for plan implementation. A question and answer session will follow.

The project is funded in part by an Environmental Protection Fund grant from the New York State Department of State.

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Press Release