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Clinton Harbor Dredging to Begin in June

Two weeks dredging work next month will mean some important temporary measures will be in place for boaters who use one of Clinton’s largest marinas. For approximately 15 days, the Army Corp of Engineers will be dredging the channel of Clinton Harbor.

Kris Shapiro, general manager of Cedar Island Marina (CIM), said the project will begin in mid-June. At press time, he did not have an exact date for the start of the project.

“This time, they are just dredging the bad areas, which are specifically the entrance to the channel as you come into Clinton from Long Island Sound,” said Shapiro, who added that the last time the harbor was dredged was in 2012.

“The danger is caused by the natural silting of the channel. As the tide ebbs and flows, sand and silt are moved throughout the current and are deposited in certain areas, which cause the water to become shallower,” Shapiro said. “The danger is that for boats that have a deeper draft, they could possibly run aground while exiting or entering the channel, especially at low tide.

“The area being dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers is the entrance to Clinton Harbor, which is traveled by every single boater entering Clinton regardless of where they are staying. This is a huge public benefit that makes traveling to Clinton by boat much safer and more desirable,” Shapiro said.

The town has 11 marinas and thousands of boats in total. Wayne Church, the town’s dock master, echoed Shapiro’s safety concerns.

Church said that the sand flats in the area are constantly shifting, which can create problems for boaters, especially those not from the area.

“When boats run aground, people can be hurt and the boats can be damaged,” said Church, who also noted that even just falling overboard in the fall or winter months could be a life-threatening situation due to the water temperature.

“In prior years some of the sand has been brought over to replenish Hammonasset,” Church said, though he is unsure if that will happen this year.

Church said there is no cost to the town for the dredging project.

During the two-week-long project, Shapiro said some normal business may be briefly altered, as the Army Corps’ boat the Currituck, will be docked at the CIM fuel dock at night time. During the time the boat is docked, CIM will not be able to service customers. Shapiro estimated that the boat will tie up sometime between 8 and 10 p.m. and then be off the dock before the opening of the start of the day in the morning.