Celebration of Norwalk Harbor Dredging Near Completion

The near completion of the multi-phase Norwalk Harbor dredging project by the US Army Corps of Engineers was feted on Wednesday at David S. Dunavan Boating Center in Veteran’s Memorial Park.

The gathering of local officials and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers marked the significant progress on the ongoing $3M project which began in Oct 2013 and builds on the work of previous phases completed in 2006 and 2009. 

The project will restore the harbor's main navigation channel between Long Island Sound and the Stroffolino Bridge to 12 feet at mean low water.
Approximately 150,000 cubic yards of sediment is being dredged and transported by scows to a designated dredged material site in Long Island Sound south of New Haven Harbor.

The dredging project is being conducted in coordination with the dredging of New Haven Harbor. Together, the work in the two harbors constitutes one of the largest federal dredging projects in the state in the past fifty years.  

According to Geoff Steadman, the goal of the project is to make Norwalk Harbor as attractive as it can be to boaters of Long Island Sound.
 
Among those attending the event were John Pinto, chair of the Dredge Committee of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission and Jose Cebrian, chairman of the commission.

Pinto summarized the stops and starts of Norwalk Harbor's dredging project over the years.

"From 1998 to 2005 the US Army Corps of Engineers did sediment testing to determine courses of action for disposal of the sediment and applied for a permit from the DEEP," Pinto said, before listing the apt headlines of a harbor dredging commission newsletter over the years.

"The first in the series was entitled 'Dredging Norwalk Harbor and the Augean Stables,'" said Pinto. "The piece compared the preparation for dredging to the fifth labor of the task of Hercules, who was given the command by the Gods of to clean the Aegean stables."   

Pinto said that "In Oct. 2005, and not since 1981 when federal  navigation dredging had been performed, and the dredges and barges appeared in Norwalk harbor, this prompted a second article entitled 'Dredge, Dredge and Drudge,' which was a play on words for the irregular verb spring, sprang and sprung to describe the timeline of events, the impasses, problems and dilemmas of trying to dredge Norwalk Harbor."

Pinto continued to chronicle the history of the harbor dredging.

"By February of 2006, phase one was completed and an article entitled 'Dredging Phase 1 of Norwalk's Underwater Highway' appeared in the newsletter to praise the completion of the dredging that benefitted both local businesses, commercial and recreational boaters, and ensured the continuation of water-borne traffic on our underwater highway."    

Pinto said that the head of the harbor, beginning by the Wall Street Bridge, down to the north section of the Stroffolino Bridge was dredged and restored to its authorized depth of 10 feet. However, dredging from the south of the Stroffolino Bridge to to the mouth of the harbor still needed to be completed to its authorized depth of 12 feet. So the commission entitled another article, 'Dredging phase  of Norwalk's Never Ending Story,' a parody of Michael Ende's 'Never Ending Story.'"

Pinto referred to the never ending requirements for finding cap material. By April 2008, Pinto said another milestone was achieved when 75,000 cubic yards of cap from Old Saybrook were identified to be used to cap Norwalk Harbor.

"Again, another milestone was achieved," said Pinto.

In 2009 the commission introduced their plans for phase 3 of the project, and, according to Pinto, the commission produced another article entitled, "Play it Again, Uncle Sam."

Mayor Rilling referred to the harbor as a jewel, and said that about a week ago he and his date had dinner at Harbor Lights and that she asked, "What are those beautiful lights shining over there?' said Rilling. "I didn't want to tell her they were the cranes in the harbor, but they were beautiful."

Bob Duff was acknowledged by Pinto as a major player in the harbor dredging project and delivered a message from the State Senator. "We now have the modern, safe and accessible harbor our city deserves. I am very grateful to the members of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the many federal, state, and local officials who have worked so hard over so many years to see this project through," Duff said.

Three descriptive panels were also unveiled on Wednesday at Veteran's Park, providing photos, graphics and descriptions of the natural environment. The panels are intended to enhance the experience of visitors and promote an appreciation of the city's maritime heritage. The panels were designed by Paul Singer of Brooklyn, NY.