The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crews have begun dredging the upper portion of the Wicomico River to ensure vessels can continue safely carrying fuel, materials and agricultural supplies to and from Eastern Shore communities.
The dredge will remove roughly 100,000 cubic yards of material from the channel to ensure continued safe navigation along the federal channel.
According to USACE, this dredging will focus on shoaled areas in the approximately 6 miles of the river north from the Upper Ferry crossing to the City of Salisbury.
They awarded an approximately $3.4 million contract to Cottrell Contracting out of Chesapeake, Virginia to conduct the dredging.
The work will restore the northern portion of the Wicomico River to its authorized depth of 14 feet (MLLW), plus two feet of allowable over depth, and to a width of 75 feet.
The dredging is coordinated with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the material, mostly silt and sand, will be placed at the nearby Sharps Point Site as during past dredging. The placement site is owned by Wicomico County.
The work is scheduled to be completed this winter.