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Essex Selectmen discuss Thatchbed Island erosion, possible dredging and grant pursuit
Summary
The Board of Selectmen heard that UConn CIRCA will present findings on Thatchbed Island on Jan. 14; the board discussed applying for SHIPP grant funding, noted DEEP permitting and a required placement-site analysis estimated at $100,000–$110,000, and acknowledged $240,000 in a sinking fund but no formal appropriation yet.
First Selectman Norman M. Needleman told the Board of Selectmen on Jan. 7 that Round Five of the Small Harbor Improvement Projects Program (SHIPP) is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026 and that the town will apply for funds to support harbor maintenance and the local boating economy.
Finance Director Jeff Going announced that the UConn Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) will present its findings on Thatchbed Island at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Meeting Room A at Essex Town Hall; the CIRCA report is posted on the town website. Going said CIRCA was commissioned by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to study the island’s erosion and possible responses.
Needleman framed dredging as a cost-benefit measure to preserve Essex’s waterfront character and economic viability. Selectman Bruce M. Glowac said some shoreline residents have asked whether private coves could be included by paying to piggyback on a town dredging project; Glowac suggested the Harbor Commission set dredging as an explicit goal.
The selectmen noted that DEEP requires an analysis of the placement area for dredged material. The board cited an estimated cost for that analysis of $100,000–$110,000. Selectmen also said the town has $240,000 in a Thatchbed Island sinking fund but that any use of those funds would require a formal funding request to the Board of Selectmen. The dredging effort is on hold pending required permits.
