March 14, 2013

ECA Members and Friends,

A meeting was held Thursday afternoon between county staff, the dredging contractor (Orion Marine Construction) and myself. The information from this meeting follows:

1. The dredging equipment will consist of one small dredge for use on the inland portion of the channel, a large dredge for use on the Gulf side of the channel and a barge with a backhoe and “rock breaker” for removing portions of the rock base in the new channel.

2. The small dredge is expected to arrive mid afternoon on Friday, March 15. The barge with the backhoe and rock breaking equipment will arrive shortly after that. The large dredge is coming from Tampa and should arrive over the weekend or early next week depending on the winds.

3. Already in place in the channel are pylons topped with navigation lights. The small dredge will start working immediately removing sand from the new channel and placing it within the oval formed by the pylons.

4. During the project, the contractor can be reached on Marine Channels 13, 16, and 78 should boaters need information.

5. A copy of Orion’s Work Plan for the dredging will be available in the PIYC Marina Office.

Until further notice, boaters should use the “old” channel between the north side of the pylons and the mangrove shoreline along Barefoot Beach. Before departing your slip, you may want to check with the Marina office for the latest information and then just follow the markers. If you have any questions, please call me or the Marina office (239-566-1606).

6. Target Date for completion remains 1 May, 2013

 

March 8, 2013
ECA MEMBERS AND FRIENDS,

WORK HAS BEGUN !!!  I dare you to be any more excited than I am that we are on schedule and except for “Acts of God” will meet our mandatory completion date of
May 1, 2013, which is the start of turtle nesting season.
We have a pile driver in the Channel placing pylons marking the new North Channel
boundary.  The area north of those will be filled in.  The same will be done for the South Side of Channel.
Dredges should arrive next week to start dredging the inland stretch of Pass.  The
reason for starting with the inland portion is because the weather can still be
dicey so the Gulf side will be done last.
We plan to provide you with weekly progress reports as work  progresses.
Please feel free to contact me with questions.
Your support has made the present possible.
Your continued support will insure our collective efforts endure.

For The ECA Board,

Joseph A. Moreland
President, ECA
Phone 239 348 1546
Cell 239 877 2484
Jmorel2409@aol.com

Soundings courtesy of Jake Rowe, Dockmaster at Pelican Isle Yacht Club.

These sounding display useful information. All users are cautioned that reliance on the information is at their own risk. They are provided for comparative purposes only.

Disclaimer: This information is given to you as a courtesy only and is not intended for navigational use. Please check with the Marina Office for any changes. In no event shall Pelican Isle Yacht Club, Inc. have any liability arising out of any navigational use of any of the information.

Click the link below to download details for the Wiggins Pass Improvement Project
Wiggins Pass Improvement Project