SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - With a federal funding problem looming, Santa Barbara is urgently timing its next round of dredging at the Santa Barbara Harbor entrance.
The infill of sand is clogging the opening but it still has a path for vessels coming in and out, mainly at higher tides.
"We are in touch with the Army Corps of Engineers," said Waterfront Director Mike Wiltshire at a recent meeting of the Santa Barbara Harbor Commission. "They are targeting in mid-March. That is really tight. It is something we are thinking about every day."
The Harbor Patrol is checking every day to test depth and widths, especially after recent storms with wave action bringing in tons of sand.
"It is going to get narrow and dire for a week, potentially two weeks," said Wiltshire. Then Pacific Dredge will be in Santa Barbara with the all-electric dredge the city uses.
He also said there is only one round of funding left in the budget. After that no more federal funding has been allocated. That then puts the burden of the $4 million cost on the local budget.
Another concern is the possibility of the harbor entrance getting shut off with another burst of sand especially if the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin is still docked.
There is also an active commercial fishing fleet in the harbor which serves local and other restaurants with its catch which includes urchin, halibut and rockfish.
Wiltshire said, "this is not normal conditions."
For now he said, "We do have a light at the end of the tunnel."
(More details, photos and video will be added here later today.)
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