River Dredging Necessary for Safety in Westbrook, Connecticut

WESTBROOK - The mouth of the Patchogue River could soon be dredged if residents approve the measure at an upcoming town meeting.

While some question why the river should be dredged and whether it's only a "boater's problem," First Selectman Noel Bishop said "this community benefits in so many ways from the boating industry."

Bishop explains that the boating industry is an economic benefit to businesses of all sizes throughout town and those boaters may go elsewhere if action is not taken soon.

Westbrook Harbor Management Commission Chairman Jim Hunicke said the filling sand in the river means that at the average low tide, it is only six feet deep in some sections rather than eight feet.

The depth is lower than that for some low tides, Hunicke said.

This poses a problem since all boaters accessing the town's marinas use the river and some require the eight foot depth.

About 2,000 boats dock in Westbrook during a typical summer making it the second busiest recreational port in Connecticut.

"The issue is one of safety. Imagine about 500 boats are in the water and a storm is coming and two deep water boats run aground and they make it in the channel sideways. The channel would then be blocked for everybody," Hunicke said.

Residents will be asked to vote for the transfer of $126,850 out of a general dredging savings account to be used specifically for the dredging of the end of the Patchogue River channel.

"It was funded originally from taxes collected from boaters in Westbrook," Hunicke said.

While news circulated that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received $93,000 for the dredging of this federal channel, the money will be used for the formal bidding process, engineering drawings, and formal legal review.

Those three items together have an upfront cost of $400,000.

"This doesn't get any dirt moved," Hunicke said, adding that waiting will only make matters worse.

During last summer, at least 100 boats ran aground creating an unpleasant experience so vivid in boaters' minds that both visitors and residents are expected to go other places to visit and store their boats next summer.

The Harbor Management Commission is working with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection in determining the best location to place the sand.

It will be placed in the Cornfield Shoals Disposal Site, pumped to Grove Beach, or barged to Grove Beach, Huicke said.

If residents approve the transfer, this year's dredging must be complete by April 1 since that marks the beginning of the breeding season for horseshoe crabs.

Admitting the emergency dredging will act as a band-aid and will probably solve the problem for only about four years, Hunicke said it will still be necessary to dredge the entire Patchogue River, a project estimated to cost $1.6 million.

It is hoped that financing for that will be available next year in the President's budget or as an earmark.

The upcoming town meeting regarding the dredging was scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 30.

A notice on the Town of Westbrook Web site from Town Clerk Joan Angelini stated that state law requires towns to post notice of a town meeting "on a signpost or exterior place near Town Clerk's Office at least five days prior to town meeting."

This was not done forcing the postponement of the meeting.

"I accept full responsibility and apologize for any inconvenience caused by this error," Angelini wrote.

The rescheduled town meeting will take place on Wed., Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Multi Purpose Room of the Teresa Mulvey Municipal Center.