OCEAN CITY, Md. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began another round of dredging at the Ocean City Inlet this week, aiming to remove sand that has built up near the West Ocean City Harbor entrance and restore the channel for boat traffic.
The Corps plans to dredge through Nov. 25, then pause for Thanksgiving if work is not complete. Operations would resume Nov. 29 and continue until the harbor entrance and inlet channel return to proper depth.
Boaters who regularly use the inlet say the depth change has been noticeable for weeks. Kevin McNelis, a boater who passed through the inlet Thursday morning, said shoaling has become visible at low tide. “You can almost see sand there at dead low tide. Now, when it used to be ten, 12 feet there. And we just came through there this morning and it was high tide and it was only like six foot in the channel,” McNelis said.
Coast Guard Station Ocean City Officer in Charge Senior Chief Charlie Dawkins said the marked federal channel remains deep enough for Coast Guard vessels, but routine dredging helps prevent bigger problems once winter storms arrive. “To maintain the channel as we go through the winter months, which are generally some of our more stormy months, if we do it now, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Dawkins said.
This work follows emergency dredging in July, when the Corps deployed the sidecasting dredge Merritt to remove close to 8,000 cubic yards of sediment from three priority areas ahead of the White Marlin Open and peak boating season. Corps officials said that emergency cycle provided temporary relief while hopper dredges such as the Murden were in maintenance.
The Corps says sediment removed from the inlet is typically placed offshore to support Assateague Island shoreline nourishment. Dawkins said that benefit is another reason to stay on a consistent dredging schedule.
During the current operation, the Coast Guard is urging mariners to stay within channel markers, monitor channel 16 and contact the dredge directly if they need guidance passing through the work zone.