12-10-2013, 12:12 PM
The Severn River headwaters and Saltworks Creek, a tributary of the river, are more accessible to boaters following dredging projects carried out by the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
"These projects illustrate Anne Arundel County and the State's long-term partnership to address the needs of the recreational boating community, and demonstrate a commitment to returning boat excise taxes, in the form of restoring access, to the county's inventory of 156 navigable waterways," said Ron Bowen, director of the county's Department of Public Works. "The county supports the State's efforts to reinvest in these types of projects and is hopeful that the Waterway Improvement Fund will recover along with the economy."
The dredging removed approximately 2,200 cubic yards of sediment from Saltworks Creek, and 14,000 cubic yards from the Severn River headwaters, all of which was relocated to the Rock Creek Dredge Material Placement Site. The total length of the dredged Saltworks Creek channel is 420 feet to depths of thee to six feet mean low water (MLW), while the Severn River headwaters was dredged 4,200 feet in length to depths of four to six feet MLW. Together, these waterways directly serve nearly 600 boaters in nearby communities, and a countless number of transient boaters year-round.
The total cost of the Saltworks Creek project was $108,011, with DNR providing $54,006; and the total for the Severn River project was $614,632, with DNR providing $307,316. Both projects were funded with matching grants provided by the DNR Waterway Improvement Fund, derived from the five-percent vessel excise tax paid when someone purchases and titles a boat in Maryland.
"We are pleased that our partnership with Anne Arundel County has resulted in two beneficial dredging projects that enhance boating safety, restore waterway depths, and reduce groundings and associated costs," said Mark O'Malley, director of DNR's Boating Services. "These projects benefit the boating public, surrounding waterfront properties, transient boaters and community residents."
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"These projects illustrate Anne Arundel County and the State's long-term partnership to address the needs of the recreational boating community, and demonstrate a commitment to returning boat excise taxes, in the form of restoring access, to the county's inventory of 156 navigable waterways," said Ron Bowen, director of the county's Department of Public Works. "The county supports the State's efforts to reinvest in these types of projects and is hopeful that the Waterway Improvement Fund will recover along with the economy."
The dredging removed approximately 2,200 cubic yards of sediment from Saltworks Creek, and 14,000 cubic yards from the Severn River headwaters, all of which was relocated to the Rock Creek Dredge Material Placement Site. The total length of the dredged Saltworks Creek channel is 420 feet to depths of thee to six feet mean low water (MLW), while the Severn River headwaters was dredged 4,200 feet in length to depths of four to six feet MLW. Together, these waterways directly serve nearly 600 boaters in nearby communities, and a countless number of transient boaters year-round.
The total cost of the Saltworks Creek project was $108,011, with DNR providing $54,006; and the total for the Severn River project was $614,632, with DNR providing $307,316. Both projects were funded with matching grants provided by the DNR Waterway Improvement Fund, derived from the five-percent vessel excise tax paid when someone purchases and titles a boat in Maryland.
"We are pleased that our partnership with Anne Arundel County has resulted in two beneficial dredging projects that enhance boating safety, restore waterway depths, and reduce groundings and associated costs," said Mark O'Malley, director of DNR's Boating Services. "These projects benefit the boating public, surrounding waterfront properties, transient boaters and community residents."
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