But the city has managed to move forward with extra money from the city and county.

Ron DeSantis vetoed a 2020 request for over $800,000 in state money.

Rick Scott in 2017 vetoed Tarpon Springs’ request for $920,000 in state funding toward dredging the river. The COVID pandemic also slowed down the project, according to Judy Staley, a spokesperson for the city. In March 2019, Tarpon Springs officials were told that federal money for the project had been diverted to hurricane relief efforts in the Panhandle. Chris Sprowls, worked for seven years to secure federal funding and begin the project. The river is supposed to be dredged every 10 years, but securing funding has been an uphill battle.Ĭity officials, with the help of some state and federal legislators, including U.S. Dredging is defined as the removal of weeds, mud, and rocks at the seabed. This poses a major danger to ships and hence needs to be recorded properly. Certain ocean routes may lie at low depths or may have rocks and coral deposits. The channel, which is under federal jurisdiction, was last dredged in 1998. Surveying also helps in ship navigation, by providing possible paths that a vessel can take.

The dredging will return the river to its normal depth of 11 feet. But the shallow water of the river - measuring less than 4 feet deep during low tide - means shrimp boats and commercial ships with larger drafts risk running aground in the turning basin.

What is navigational dredging