Oswego County Supports Dredging of Sandy Pond

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Legislature announced today that it is contributing $35,000 to emergency dredging services at North Sandy Pond in the town of Sandy Creek. The dredging consists of the removal of 3,500 cubic feet of sand and ensures that the channel connecting Sandy Pond to Lake Ontario is fully open.

“Sandy Pond is a significant tourist destination that attracts thousands of people for boating, fishing and swimming each summer,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, District 9. “Keeping the channel that connects Sandy Pond to Lake Ontario open is crucial not only for tourism, but for public safety as well. If the channel closes, water rescue vessels will not be able to respond to emergencies, resulting in life-threatening situations.”

Dredging is conducted at Sandy Pond each year to address the sediment that accumulates in the channel from heavy erosion of the sandy barrier bar. The town of Sandy Creek already funded the dredging of 5,000 cubic yards of sand this year; however, following completion of that work, the Sandy Pond Channel Maintenance Association found that another 3,500 cubic feet of sand would need to be removed to fully open the channel.

The resolution to provide the $35,000 in funding for this dredging was passed unanimously with bipartisan support at the Legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee meeting on March 31. The resolution will go to the full Legislature meeting on April 9, where it is expected to pass.

“When the Sandy Pond Channel Maintenance Association reached out requesting our help on this project, we knew we had to take action to ensure the channel would continue to be navigable,” said Legislator Mary Ellen Chesbro, District 10, chairwoman of the Legislature’s Economic Development and Planning Committee. “While the county is actively working with partners on a long-term plan, we are confident that this dredging will address the immediate risk of the channel closing.”

Oswego County Legislator Michael Yerdon, District 1, added, “We’re happy to support this necessary project as Sandy Pond is enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. It’s important, not only for recreation, but our businesses also rely on the commerce that Sandy Pond brings in and maintaining that connection to Lake Ontario will help to preserve the economic vitality of the area.”

The dredging is currently happening and is limited to the northern section of the channel across from Carl Island where the pond accesses Lake Ontario.

“One area of concern for us was to move this initiative along very quickly, as dredging needed to be completed before the Piping Plover nesting season,” said Chesbro.

The Piping Plover is an endangered and protected bird species in New York. Dredging is generally prohibited in areas where Piping Plovers are present. Piping Plovers tend to migrate to Sandy Pond beginning early to mid-April.

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