From Port of Bay City Authority
Matagorda County Drainage District No. 1 will begin dredging the entrance to Caney Creek Cut in June 2025 to remove shoaling near the mouth of Caney Creek Cut.
Surveys indicate that shoaling has accumulated at the mouth of Caney Creek that could impact navigation during lower tides.
This has the potential to affect many recreational and commercial vessels who traverse and rely on Caney Creek.
The maintenance dredging of Caney Creek Cut will restore the navigation channel depth to approximately seven and a half feet below low tide to facilitate safe navigation.
Matagorda County Drainage District No. 1 partnered with the Port of Bay City Authority which advocated for the project and committed funding toward the dredging.
After three years of coordinating with the local community and working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to advance the project, a dredging contract was officially awarded by the Matagorda County Drainage District No. 1 to Viking Dredging, LLC on May 7, 2025.
Viking Dredging, LLC, based in Houston, TX, will hydraulically dredge around 9,400 cubic yards of sediment to restore the navigation channel.
Dredge sediment will be placed in the U S. Army Corps of Engineers Placement Area 100, located across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and just south of the mouth of Caney Creek.
Preconstruction activities, including surveys and debris removal may begin as early as May 19, 2025.
Dredging activities are expected to occur 7 days per week for 12 hours per day until completed.
The public is asked to exercise caution and maintain a safe distance from the planned dredging activities, which include floating and submerged pipelines, the dredge, and support vessels operating in the work area.