Union County places Clark Reservoir dredging on the agenda; project described as 660-day work

Union County's Department of Parks and Recreation told the Board of County Commissioners that dredging work at Clark Reservoir (also referred to as the Middlesex Water Reservoir) is beginning and is expected to span about 660 days.

The department director said the resolution before the board "allows us to move forward with the dredging of the Clark Reservoir, Middlesex Water Reservoir. The work is beginning now. It's a 660 day project, and it will dredge the headwaters, the West, and the Central Lakes." Commissioner Mirabella said many residents had been "anxious for this process to start" and expressed relief that work was beginning.

Why it matters: Dredging can restore reservoir capacity, improve water quality, and affect recreation and downstream flows. The transcript records the scope (headwaters, West and Central Lakes) and the approximate schedule (660 days) but does not include project cost, contractor identity, or a start date beyond "beginning now." County staff did not outline a detailed construction schedule or provide specific funding sources in the agenda discussion.

Questions at the meeting focused on timing: County Manager Oatman told commissioners the timeline will be determined when the interagency agreement (IA) goes out to bid and that the contractor's bid documents will spell out the schedule. "That'll be determined when we when the IA goes out to bid, there's a contractor, that'll be spelled out when the bids come in in the timeline," Oatman said. The agenda item was placed for consideration; the transcript did not record a final vote.