Dredging plan for Newburyport Fish Pier on display

The City of Newburyport Mayor, Donna D. Holaday, has submitted a proposal for $110.1 million in capital improvements over the next five years.

The proposed capital improvement program for fiscal 2022-26, presented Monday to the City Council, includes $49.4 million for infrastructure improvements; $39.2 million for facility renovations and repairs; $14.6 million for parks, grounds and open space; and $4 million for the replacement of vehicles and equipment.

Also included is $2.8 million for miscellaneous items such as the dredging of the city’s fish pier embayment and the reorganization of Building Department records.

The City’s Municipal Fish Pier embayment provides one of the few suitable places available for the local commercial fishing fleet to unload its catch.

Fishing is an important legacy for Newburyport, and a small commercial fishing fleet remains active.

The Fish Pier embayment and hoist are currently used by fishing boats, but the facility has been underutilized for decades as it is too shallow for an effective tie-up facility and only allows vessel access at high tide.

Survey, sampling, testing, design, cost estimating and permitting was done in 2009, recommending blasting and dredging about 11,000 SF (2,200 CY of sediment and 450 CY of rock) to a depth of -10 to -11 MLW in order to provide full-tide access to the eastern face of the Fish Pier.