WEST OCEAN CITY, Md. -- Sand build-up near the West Ocean City Harbor continues to give boaters a hard time. Moving through those waters should get a bit easier though after one of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges got to work on Friday.
The timing couldn't be better for recreational fisherman with the White Marlin Open just ten days away. The location of dredge work is good news too, with the Army Corps of Engineers focusing around Sunset Marina and the West Ocean City Commercial Harbor.
Jim Motsko, President of the WMO Tournament, said the dredge arriving with less than two weeks to go is a sight for sore eyes.
"When they're done, should be plenty of room for the boats to get through there," said Motsko.
Last year, the dredge didn't show up until after the tournament. It gave White Marlin participants quite the headache.
"Unfortunately a lot of the boats that attended the tournament ran aground right by the entrance to the harbor and Sunset Marina," said Motsko.
So he turned to Maryland lawmakers to get the dredge out to West OC just a little bit earlier.
"Together with all their help the dredge is here right now and the inlet will be dredged deep enough to let the boats get in here," said Motsko.
Those involved with the WMO aren't the only ones with skin in the game though.
Commercial fisherman use the channel all the time, and they too are impacted by the shoaling problem. Shoaling is when sand builds up at the bottom of a channel, creating shallow pathways which make it difficult for boats to get by.
It happens often enough, Worcester County officials are keeping the pressure on the feds to dredge more frequently.
"Additional dredging, additional material removals, more frequent dredging scheduled events and longer scheduled events when they do come here for extra days is paramount," said Robert Mitchell, Director of Worcester County Environmental Programs.
Mitchell said while more dredging is the goal right now, the county and state are still working towards a constructive and more permanent solution.
The county is working with federal and state agencies, including Maryland DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a 'Sand Management Plan'.
"We're all working together to try to look at beneficial re-use of dredge, find a home for these solids," said Mitchell. "And that would be protection of land based assets as well, resiliency type of efforts, restoration of marshes and the like."
Worcester County Commissioners have also requested a renewed water resources study, which is a 30,000 foot overview of the entire basin surrounding the commercial harbor and Sunset Marina.
Both efforts will help give the Army Corps of Engineers a better path forward for keeping the channel clear.