Meaford Harbour dredging work is expected to begin on Monday, August 17, and is expected to continue until mid-October. The work will remove built-up sand, silt, and natural material from the harbour bottom to help improve boating access and keep the harbour safe and usable.
The municipality advises that following services and areas may be temporarily impacted: parking, vehicle routes, pedestrian routes, boat launch access, camping access, pavilion rental access, and some harbour services. The RV sanitary dump station is expected to be closed during the work. Washrooms, the fish cleaning station, the harbour area, the boat launch, camping, pavilion rentals, and most harbour services are expected to remain open, but access may be limited or adjusted at times.
“Dredging is needed because material has built up on the harbour bottom over time, making parts of the harbour shallower. Removing this material will help improve safe boating access and support harbour operations,” said the municipality in a media release issued on August 10, announcing the pending dredging activity. “In-water dredging can only happen during an approved environmental timing window to help reduce impacts to fish, wildlife, and the surrounding water. Temporary changes to parking, routes, and access are needed so the work can be completed safely and in line with permit requirements.”
The municipality asks that visitors to the harbour area follow posted signage, and use the temporary vehicle and pedestrian routes.
Project updates will be posted at meaford.ca/dredging and through the Major Municipal Projects section of the municipal website.
