Mianus River, Cos Cob Harbor Dredging Scheduled for Next Year

Editor’s note: This story was first published July 28. Here it is again in case you missed it.

The long-awaited dredging of the Mianus River appears to be on track to be done this fall.

According to a 30-day public notice issued July 23 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the removal of 60,000 cubic yards of silt could begin Around Oct. 1 and take up to four months to complete.

The notice, received by First Selectman Peter Tesei on July 27, is the culmination of town efforts begun in 2008 to dredge the shallow channel that leads to Long Island Sound.

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In May, on the recommendation of Gov. Dannel Malloy, the state Bond Commission approved $1 million for the project.

The proposed world consists of the maintenance fledging of about 60,000 cubic yards of primarily fine-grain clay and silt, so the channel can be returned to its authorized dimensions. The channel should be six feet deep at mean low tide but with silting, it is less than four feet.

For years, the shallow channel has been a concern and for recreational and commercial boaters.

The dredging would deepen the 100-foot channel to six feet from Cos Cob Harbor to 400 feet south of the Post Road bridge. From the 400-foot point to the bridge, the channel would be 75-feet wide.

The work will be performed by a private contractor, using a mechanical dredge and scows. The dredged silt will be dumped at the Western Long Island Sound Disposal Site, about six miles away, in the middle of the Sound between Long Neck Point in Noroton and Eaton’s Neck on Long Island, according to the Army Corps’ documents.

The work will take between two and four months and will be done between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31. The dredging contractor will be able to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In a statement, Tesei thanked Malloy for the financial support of the project and the efforts of Harbor Management Commission Chair Frank Mazza. “The Mianus River channel is an integral part of the recreational and commercial activities in town,” Tesei said.

Photos: The Mianus River at low tide in Cos Cob. Credit: Barbara Heins.