CAMBRIDGE, MD - Decades have passed since the last dredging of Cambridge Harbor, and now city officials are sounding the alarm, calling for assistance to alleviate navigational challenges in the area. The City is seeking aid from the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake the project, aiming to enhance safety and ease for boaters navigating the harbor.
The deteriorating condition of Cambridge Harbor has troubled boaters, who have to navigate carefully to avoid shallow areas. According to local boater Ben Krewson of Madison Bay Seafood, the situation has worsened over the years, making passage through the harbor increasingly difficult.
"It's gotten to be more and more difficult to get through there. I have a lot of commercial guys that have gotten to the point now where you kind of have to pick your places where you can go where you can't go. It's gotten more difficult over the years," Krewson remarked.
City engineers, Bucky Jackson, acknowledged that dredging has not been done since the early 1970s and stress the urgency of addressing the issue once again. He says, "Its been slowly going on. We have plans that show it was dredged in the early 70's."
The hope is, that the materials dredged from this area will be used for the 'Make Cambridge Resilient' project that is working towards ways to aid against sea level rise.
Jackson says, "the design is out there right now for a berm to be built and then in front of the berm on the waterside of the berm will be a sand and it will be a living shoreline with plants and an oyster reef at the toe of the slope."
While the City hopes to repurpose the dredged materials for this resilience project, progress hinges on collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers. In a statement, the Corps expressed their active engagement with Cambridge and Dorchester County officials regarding the feasibility of the request.
They say, "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, received a request from the City of Cambridge on Feb. 20 to support federal funding efforts for the dredging of the federally maintained channel known as Cambridge Harbor to support the city’s economical development. USACE, Baltimore District, navigation personnel are actively collaborating with Cambridge and Dorchester County officials on the feasibility of the request. As a committed federal partner to existing Chesapeake Bay dredging efforts, we remain in close coordination with the City of Cambridge and Dorchester County."
Though the project remains in its early stages, the sight of equipment on-site could become a reality within two years. Yet, before proceeding, Cambridge must secure support from the County Council, a matter to be discussed during Tuesday night's council meeting.
The dredging of Cambridge Harbor stands as a pressing issue for the City and its boating community, underscoring the importance of timely action to ensure safe and efficient navigation. As discussions progress and plans materialize, collaboration between local and federal entities will be paramount in addressing this longstanding concern.