Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the completion of New York State’s $15 million Regional Dredging Project.
The dredging project is part of the State’s $300 million Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative to repair and build resiliency in communities recovering from damage caused by high water levels and flooding along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
The objective of the Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative Regional Dredging Project, established in 2019, is to provide a comprehensive approach to ongoing dredging needs for harbor navigation channels used primarily for recreational boating and refuge to allow for continued safe harbor and passage of watercrafts.
“New York State is building resiliency in communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River with strategic flood prevention projects identified through the State’s REDI program,” Governor Hochul said.
“I am proud to announce the completion of the Regional Dredging Project, a comprehensive measure which included the dredging of 20 vital navigation channels within the region, proving essential to protecting critical aquatic and coastal habitats of the region, while also boosting tourism by ensuring safe recreational access for boaters.”
Through the initial two phases, the project tackled maintenance dredging of 20 harbor navigation channels.
Over seventy-five percent of the dredged sediment was beneficially reused in a variety of ways including beach renourishment, littoral placement, and general fill.
During Phase III, the State transitioned program management to the counties and provided the information they need to update, expand, and implement an existing Regional Dredging Management Plan to keep the channels operational in the years to come.