After months of delay, the $1.2 million dredging of the entrance to Fortune Bay Canal in Lucaya is finally underway.

Lucaya Service Company Limited (LUSCO), a subsidiary of Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO), has contracted A&D Gaitor's Equipment Rock and Sand to complete the project in 210 days.

LUSCO, responsible for the waterways and ocean inlets in the Freeport and Lucaya areas, is spearheading the project.

The maintenance dredging work will be followed by repairs to damaged jetties with an expected completion date in October.

"We understand the importance of the Fortune Bay Canal to our residents and the boating public," said Charisse Brown, DEVCO CEO and president.

"Our teams are working diligently to ensure that the work continues to progress safely and as planned. We are grateful for the support given to LUSCO by Phoenix Engineering Limited, A&D Gaitor's Equipment Rock & Sand, and the Grand Bahama Port Authority and its Building and Development Services Department.

"We will continue to update residents and the boating public about ongoing works and potential impacts to traffic in the waterway and onshore areas."

Last year, following repeated complaints by Fortune Bay Canal boaters about the shallow depth of the canal, LUSCO announced that dredging of the canal would start in September.

At the time, Brown anticipated that it would be completed by the end of 2022 and the jetty reconstruction by early this year.

The work never got underway, however, as area residents raised concerns about the possible environmental impact.

Coral Vita was asked to survey the area to determine the extent of coral coverage and ecosystem health, and to offer recommendations for next steps. The report was submitted in mid-October and confirmed the existence of important species of coral in the canal.

A contract was signed in early December and Coral Vita announced the relocation work had been completed by the end of that month.

The landside work was completed in April and dredging got underway in late May.

According to A&D Gaitor's President Andrew Gaitor, "We already completed 175 by 100 feet of the dredging area up to 12 feet at high tide."

Gaitor said that while there have been some challenges with "mud and debris" at the site, he is pleased with the progress up to this point.

He explained that the mud and sand are mixing together, but are being placed in a holding cell.

"Once it reaches the height of eight feet, the water will go into the next sludge pit where it will become clear water," Gaitor said.

"From there, the clear water runs through a 750-feet trench where we filter it back into the canal. We have a rock system that will bring the water back to clear before it hits the canal."

Gaitor said the workers are dredging to a depth of 11 and a half feet at high tide, which is enough to accommodate any size of recreational vessel through the waterway and will result in the removal of 33,000 cubic yards of sand.

"They will have a minimum of nine to 10 feet at low tide and roughly 12 to 13 feet at high tide," he explained.

Dredging is in its fourth week, taking place daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

"Of course, our progress is tied to weather conditions," Gaitor said.

The long-awaited project is great news for Fortune Bay boaters.

"I am really pleased to be informed that the dredging has finally began," said James Sarles, president of James Sarles Realty.

"The dredging is critical to infrastructure and we've been waiting for a long time."

Sarles said there are boat owners in the canal system who couldn't access the waterway and others who could use the inlet only at high tide and, from a real estate perspective, completing the dredging will be a big plus.

"There are people who have been waiting to buy property here and they come because boating and our beautiful waterways are a huge attraction. But when it's clogged up and you can't get in, it's a big negative."

Sarles believes all of the island's waterways should be dredged, including the Bell Channel canal, where the big yachts usually access.

"So, this is good for Grand Bahama, and let's hope it is done in a quick fashion," Sarles said.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian