Emergency Inlet Dredging Planned For Next Month

OCEAN CITY — After recent storms accelerated the chronic shoaling of the Ocean City Inlet to the point navigation has been compromised, the federal Army Corps is heading to the resort to dredge the navigation channel with an emergency operation.

While the Inlet and other channels in and around the commercial harbor naturally fill in and are in continual need of maintenance dredging, the problem has become even more acute in recent weeks after a series of coastal storms accelerated the issue. In recent weeks, some vessels operating out the commercial harbor have found it difficult, if not impossible, to pass through the Inlet even on the highest of tides because of the shoaling of the navigational channel.

Congressman Andy Harris (R-1) said this week the Army Corps of Engineers, which routinely dredges the Inlet and surrounding channels, has expedited an effort to dredge the Inlet on an emergency basis. Harris said he reached out to the Army Corps seeking immediate assistance after discovering the Inlet had shoaled in to the point even modest-sized vessels had difficulty passing through the channel.

“Ocean City is Maryland’s only Atlantic coast seaport, and small businesses across Maryland’s First District depend on the Ocean City Inlet for the transport of goods,” he said. “The buildup of sand now restricts access to the Inlet for fishing vessels and larger ships, and has become a threat to the livelihood of many Eastern Shore residents. In fact, a fishing trawler recently attempted to return to their dock with a load of black sea bass before getting temporarily grounded in the Ocean City Inlet. The ship was freed, but was unable to return to their dock and unload. I am grateful to the Army Corps of Engineers for their cooperation and immediate attention to this matter, so that future problems will be avoided.”

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