Routine Dredging To Begin In Clearwater Pass

CLEARWATER, FL -- Boaters soon will be able to navigate the channels from Clearwater Pass to Beach Marina Basin without fear of becoming grounded.

Maintenance dredging of Clearwater Pass in Pinellas County is scheduled to begin May 5 and will take an estimated 35 days to complete.

The project includes dredging within the federal navigation channel at Clearwater Pass to previously authorized depths in the entrance channel, from the bridge to the junction with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and also branching into Clearwater Harbor.

The authorized channel is 10 feet deep by 150 feet wide at the entrance and transitions to 8 feet by 100 feet wide inside the pass.

Approximately 60,000 cubic yards of dredged material will be placed in a nearshore disposal area located north of the inlet. The work will be performed using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' shallow draft hopper dredge, MURDEN, based out of Wilmington, N.C.

The cost of the project is $1.2 million and will be funded by the federal government.

The channels from Clearwater Pass to the Beach Marina Basin when shoaled (filled with silt) create a navigation hazard for boaters. This project will alleviate shoaling and will allow safe passage for boaters navigating the channel.

Project updates will be available at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website.

Image via U.S. Army Corps of Engineers