Wicomico dredge spoil at capacity

EDEN, Md. — County officials have concerns about relocating sediment that’s been dredged from the Wicomico River and dumped at the Sharps Point dredge spoil site. Officials say the site has reached its capacity, and the county must explore options for relocating the sediment before the US Army Corps of Engineers can continue dredging.

Over 300,000 more cubic yards of sediment must still be dredged and dumped, according to Adam Corry, LEHS, Executive Director of Environmental Health & Services at the Wicomico County Department of Public Works.

Routine dredging in the Wicomico River is essential for maintaining navigable channels for ships reaching the port of Salisbury, Maryland’s second-busiest commercial port.

“Perdue, Vulcan, all those other companies that rely on that navigable waterway… We have to make sure that’s open for them, and the only way to do that is by regularly re-dredging those parts of the channel,” said Corry.

The county is still determining the best course of action for relocating the sediment at Sharps Point. “We’re currently working with our partners at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, our county GIS team, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the  Maryland Department of the Environment and some other agencies to find out what’s going to be the best beneficial reuse for dredge in our county,” Corry said.

Dredge can be used to benefit the environment and restore low-lying lands, but environmental experts like Dr. Judith Stribling want to be sure that the sediment doesn’t contain toxins first.

“Typically, the Wicomico River isn’t extremely contaminated with toxic materials, but there has been some industrial activity there,” said Stribling.

Officials say testing of the sediment has come back mostly benign despite the industrial activity in the Wicomico River.