Sea Coast Marine Construction began round-the-clock dredging of the Honga River in Dorchester County, Maryland, on October 10. Work is scheduled to continue through March 31, 2027.
The channel remains open to navigation, though its navigable width has been reduced, according to a US Coast Guard (USCG) local notice to mariners. Mariners are advised to exercise caution when meeting, overtaking or passing the dredging equipment and associated work vessels.
The cutter-suction dredge Scout is carrying out the work, with a pipeline running from its stern to the designated disposal site. Booster pump stations, multiple tugboats, an excavator barge and a skiff are also operating in the area.
Sediment from the channel is intended for construction of the initial restored wetland area in the southwestern section of Barren Island. The work forms part of the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration Project, a partnership between the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Baltimore District and the Maryland Port Administration.
USACE had proposed hydraulically dredging approximately 325,000 cubic yards to restore the channel's authorised depth of seven feet.
USACE separately expected maintenance dredging of the North East River elsewhere in Maryland to begin in late October.