Hingham Harbor dredging starts this fall!

By Carol Meyer

Attention, boaters and other harbor-users! The Town of Hingham dredges the Hingham Inner Harbor mooring basin every 10 years to maintain safe-water depth, which means it's up for dredging again starting this year. Ten years go by fast!

"We anticipate this project will require the entire dredging window, from October 1 to January 31, 2020," Harbormaster Ken Corson said recently.

 Lt. Governor Karyn Polito recently visited Hingham to announce the awarding of a $2 million Massachusetts Dredging Program grant to the town, which allows the project to move forward. Corson attended the ceremony.

In anticipation of the start of this project, all boats and moorings must be removed from the mooring basin before Oct. 1, or earlier depending on individual marinas. Town pier floats will be removed from the water by September 27. Due to dredging operations, navigation in the mooring basin will be restricted beginning October 1.

An estimated 62,000 cubic yards of sediment will be removed, which will restore all-tide access to the town's more than 230 public moorings, among other benefits.

Be sure to stop by one of the Bathing Beach parking lots or other areas around the harbor to catch a glimpse of the dredging equipment once the project is underway -- quite a sight to see!

Do you boat in Hingham Harbor? What makes it so special?