Army Corps to Dredge Clogged Ocean City Inlet
Help is on the way for boat captains struggling to navigate through the Ocean City Inlet in the wake of a series of powerful winter storms.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is accelerating plans to dredge the channel. It is canceling scheduled work in New Jersey to prioritize the beleaguered inlet south of Ocean City, a key passage for commercial fishing vessels.
U.S. Rep. Andy Harris' office said the 1st District representative contacted the corps after receiving reports that a buildup of sand was jeopardizing access for larger ships.
"I am grateful to the Army Corps of Engineers for their cooperation and immediate attention to this matter, so that future problems will be avoided," Harris said in a statement.
In one recent instance, a fishing trawler laden with freshly caught black sea bass became grounded temporarily in the inlet. It was freed but couldn't make its way to its dock to unload, according to Harris' office.
The congressman's release didn't mention when the work would commence.