Santa Barbara Secures Funding to Keep Harbor Dredging Program Afloat

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The sands of time were starting to run out for the Santa Barbara Waterfront Department as tons of sand began clogging the entrance, but help is on the way.

The federal government through the Army Corps of Engineers is sending about $6.1 million to City of Santa Barbara to pay for dredging possibly twice a year.

A dredge is in the harbor now removing sand, but it was delayed for months to wait until the last possible time when the sand was starting to have an impact of vessels going in and out.

The money for this dredging operation was the last in the budget and new funds had not been promised for the first time in years.  

Waterfront officials were on high alert. They were both looking for other money and timing the last use of the current funds.

If more sand were to arrive, the harbor entrance would be impassable for some vessels.

At low tide last month the depth already was only about ten feet.

Boat owner and former Waterfront Commissioner Steve Byrd said, "the fishing fleet, it denies them of their whole livelihood and the Coast Guard boat for emergencies."

Commercial Fisherman Gary Burke said it has had the lake effect in the past , " when nobody could go out and that would create a lot of lawsuits which we don't need."

He says the fishing fleet is very valuable to the area. "II tell people  Santa Barbara Harbor has one of the strongest commercial fleets on the coast. My boat was built in   Crescent City.   There are only one or two rows of commercial boats and there used to be eight or nine. If you go to Morro Bay at the byback there's nothing left  and commercial fishing unfortunately it is a dying industry  and this is one of the strong holds. "

The funds were announced by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D)-California from Santa Barbara County.

Mayor Randy Rowse has also been back in Washington D.C. for several reasons, but also to lobby for the funds.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.