Many in Naples were disheartened to learn this week that the Army Corps of Engineers would not be dredging shoal from the Causeway and Chute River.

Over the years, sediment build-up along the river has created massive sandbars that impede navigation and pose a threat to passing vessels. Boaters must make their way through the maze of the sandbars and cut past marina buoys and pilings before squeezing through the causeway. Around 25 boats each year sustain serious damage from scraping and/or groundings.

“The problem with the sand bar is that boaters come through and they hit it with their engines. They suck sand into their water-pumps which puts it through their engines. This will fill an engine block with sand, wipe out water-pump impellers and cause overheating,” says Jim Allen, the owner of the Naples Marina, “It can be an expensive proposition for someone to hit that sandbar and overheat an engine. Sometimes five, six, seven thousands dollars worth of damage.”

A study conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers found that a dredging of the sediment was not economically warranted. The study weighed commercial revenue and repair costs with the overall cost of the dredging. The benefit/cost ratio was .08 to 1. In order for the dredging to be justified by the government, the benefit must be equal to or greater than the cost.

With no government help in sight, Frank Gerrish has taken the helm. Gerrish and his business partner Charlie Comeau are currently in the process of building a 40-foot long dredging barge. With it, they plan to dredge a 800-foot long canal from Long Lake through the Causeway, the Chute River and straight to where the Songo River connects with Brandy Pond. The canal would be 80 feet wide and five feet deep, congruent with the Army Corps designs. Their plan is to use a crane-operated clamshell to scoop out the shoal and deposit it on the barge for redistribution. They hope to sell the shoal to local beachfront residents on Long Lake who want to replace shoreline lost from erosion.

Frank Gerrish is most well known as the captain of the famous Songo River Queen II. The Songo River Queen II is an authentic Mississippi paddleboat that runs regular trips and charters around Long Lake, Brandy Pond, and through the Songo Locks. Gerrish built the first Songo River Queen in 1970 after seeing a riverboat on show in Chicago. This first boat burnt at dock in October of 1982, but that didn’t stop Gerrish. He built the Songo River Queen II shortly thereafter and it has been royalty on the lake of ever since. About 300 tourists a day ride the Songo River Queen during the summer.

Shortly after the Songo River Queen began charting the waters, Gerrish found that he needed a vessel to maintain the waterways. He constructed a barge and started his own dredging company to move shoal, pilings, lumber for docks, etc. That company is known today as Comeau & Gerrish Marine Company. Their newest barge, designed specifically for the Causeway dredging, is due to be completed in about two weeks.

Gerrish and Comeau still have many hurdles to overcome before they can start dredging. The state and Department of Environmental Protection must grant them approval. The Lakes Environmental Association of Bridgton doesn’t see the actual dredging as an ecological concern, but the depositing of the shoal on lakefront property may be. Redepositing the shoal could cause shoreline shifts, they said. On the good side, the shoal dredged from the lake will be phosphorous-free. It is currently illegal to dump sand near the shore because phosphorous found in most sand is toxic to the lake’s ecosystem. Gerrish and Comeau will also be testing all of the shoal for mercury.

This is not the first time a private citizen or company has partaken in such an endeavor. Back in 1942, the Snodgrass Dredging Company dredged the Chute River for the Goodrich Transit Company. That was also the last time the river has been dredged. After 63 years, the waterway is long overdue for a dredging and Gerrish and Comeau are ready and willing.

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