A lot of people around Tilghman Island will tell you that a dredging project at Knapps Narrows was sorely needed, and now that the dredging is done, the Narrows is giving deep-draft boats a big welcome back.
This drone video, given to Bay Bulletin by Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism, shows off the renewed access that allows bigger boats to cruise through easily.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers headed up the dredging project. The Corps tells Bay Bulletin, the work was finished in April, ahead of their Memorial Day weekend goal. Finishing the dredging before the official start to boating season made for a smaller inconvenience to channel users. In total, 100,000 cubic yards of muck was dredged from the channel, to allow for the safe navigation of commercial and pleasure boats.
Kelley Cox, Director of the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center in Tilghman, has noticed more boat traffic and bigger boats.
“It is definitely helping our economy,” Cox says, “It has been a great summer so far, with lots of boats in the marinas and passing through Tilghman. The increased boat traffic is helping local businesses stay afloat!”
For more information on the best places around Knapps Narrows to take your boat, click here.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
