At Ocean City Inlet, dredging goes deep
Dredging work, which is set to resume Tuesday at the Ocean City Inlet, is on track to scour more sand from the bottom of the troubled channel than initially estimated, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
The dredge Currituck was called in last month after a powerful nor'easter in January washed tons of sand into the entrance to Maryland's only ocean port. Some 15,000 cubic yards of material would have to be removed to return the inlet to its authorized depth of 10 feet, the Corps said.
The March 6-12 emergency work scooped up 13,500 cubic yards of material, 3,500 more than originally targeted.
Ocean City Inlet dredging to target shoaling
A previously scheduled dredging operation set to begin Tuesday, April 5, is expected to remove another 5,000 cubic yards within the channel. The effort, slated to last 10-14 days, is focusing on areas where sand is traditionally trapped while naturally flowing south toward Assateague Island, the Corps said in a statement.
But it also will level high spots left behind in the channel after the March dredging, officials say.