Cowes Harbor Commission has just announced that the Eastern Channel dredge works will begin in January 2019.
The dredging will be carried out before the end of the MMO (Marine Management Organization) consented window that runs through to the end of March 2019, added the CHC.
The dredging can only be done over the winter due to the presence of the eel grass beds off East Cowes.
The new Eastern Channel will provide a minimum of 2.25m (below chart datum) channel, and a more direct route to the Solent than the current Small Craft Channel, allowing smaller vessels safe access to and egress from the harbor, minimizing potential conflict with the larger ferry and commercial traffic movements.
The Board of Cowes Harbor Commissioners approved the upfront funding of the Eastern Channel dredge, recognizing that under the government’s ‘Guidance for Trust Ports’ the dredging works will be considered as a “stakeholder dividend project”.
Prior to the works commencing a Cowes Harbor LNTM will be issued to inform all stakeholders of the dredging process, timeline and any exclusion zones that may be temporarily in force.