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Harbor managers plan for dredging and add ice‑eaters as marina rebounds
Summary
Harbor Director Jim Donegan reported rising marina reservations and a Harbor Management Fund balance of about $800,000; the Harbor Commission approved adding roughly 14 ice‑eaters to protect docks, and Donegan described ongoing coordination with the Army Corps, EPA and DEP on remaining dredging and disposal options.
Jim Donegan, director of Harbor Management and Marina, told aldermen on April 20 that the harbor has seen six straight years of rising reservations and that transient slips and mooring fields are filling quickly.
Donegan said the harbor commission approved adding approximately 14 more ice‑eaters to the roughly 30 the city currently operates to protect pilings and infrastructure after an exceptionally cold winter. The commission is building reserve funds to pay for capital projects including dredging and dock replacement; Donegan said the two harbor funds total just over $800,000 this month.
Dredging: federal and local responsibilities
Donegan explained the Army Corps of Engineers handled the Federal Channel dredging about three years ago and completed approximately 75–80% of the federal work. The remaining federal dredging depends on sediment testing and designation of appropriate disposal sites (open water or confined aquatic disposal) and is being coordinated with the Corps, EPA and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The city is responsible for dredging where the federal channel ends and the marina begins; Donegan said the city will begin permitting work to prepare for its portion.
Ending: Donegan said the harbor will seek grant funding (including Connecticut Port Authority small harbor improvement grants) and continue to build the Harbor Management Fund to support dredging and capital needs; no immediate appropriation decisions were made at the hearing.
