OCEAN CITY — Despite a recent run of sub-freezing temperatures that had many areas of the back bays behind the resort frozen over, the first phase of the town of Ocean City’s ambitious canal dredging project is moving along unimpeded except for a few alterations in the plan caused by equipment breakdowns.
Last week’s frigid temperatures caused many of the areas in the bays and canals to briefly freeze over, but the dropping temperatures have had little effect on Ocean City’s canal dredging program. Recognizing many of the canals throughout the resort had silted in to the point they were no longer navigable, Ocean City officials last year approved an ambitious seven-year project to systematically dredge the waterways.
The City Council first approved a code change that shifted the responsibility of maintaining the canals from the adjacent property owners to the town. Town officials then completed the requisite design work and environmental permit processes. The next step was to categorize the canals by priority with those most in need of dredging placed near the front of the project list.
After a considerably long permitting and prioritizing process, the first phase of the expansive dredging project got underway last fall. Several of the top priority canals were completed before the end of the year and the project will continue through the rest of the winter and into the early spring.
While extended sub-freezing temperatures earlier this month resulted in some of the project areas freezing over, weather has not been a major factor and the work is moving on unimpeded. However, some mechanical issues have forces a revision of the initial plan, according to City Engineer Terry McGean.
“The canal dredging is going fine and weather has not been an issue,” he said. “We recently had a couple of equipment breaks, so they have moved to dredge the four outfalls that they can reach from land.”
The plan calls for the canals to be dredged in relatively close proximity to each other in the interest of efficiency and cost-saving. The dredged material in some cases is being deposited on the beaches nearby, depending on the quality of the material, and in other cases is being pumped into a lagoon at Northside Park.
The first phase included the canals in the areas of Hitchens and Trimper Avenues and from there the project was moving north to the areas of 48th Street and 52nd Street. The first phase also includes four large storm drain outfalls that have silted in with sediment and those have now been moved up the list. The four outfalls are located in the areas of Seaweed Lane, Tunnel Ave., Sinepuxent Ave., and Jamaica Ave. The town earmarked $500,000 for the first phase from the general fund and the project will continue for several years based on priority and the availability of funding.
The challenge will be keeping the funding stream on a pace with the permitting process. McGean has said it will likely take seven years to get all of the top priority canals done and permits have been acquired for about three years’ worth of canals. It will likely take an investment of about $500,000 per year to keep the project moving forward and on schedule.
Another challenge will be the condition of the shoreline in the areas targeted for dredging. While the town is footing the bill for the dredging itself, the adjacent property owners remain responsible for maintaining the bulkheads on either side. The town will not initiate dredging work for any canal unless the complete canal shoreline is stable. As a result, those who have property along canals identified in the prioritized master list are urged to check the condition of their bulkheads and shorelines in advance of any dredging work.