Lewie Lawrence of the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority discussed maintenance dredging of local waterways during the Mathews Board of Supervisors’ July 24 meeting.

Lawrence said that, while navigable waterways are “critical to the economic fabric of the Middle Peninsula,” federal funding is no longer sufficient to pay for maintenance dredging of the channels. Therefore, he said, a regional approach is needed on future dredging projects.

The PAA has been working with the Virginia Marine Extension Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help localities and private entities come up with options for financing projects. Their Shallow Draft Navigation and Sediment Management Plan is available online at www.Virginiacoastalaccess.net.

Also, during the board’s public comment period, Friends of the Mathews Memorial Library president Maree Morgan expressed appreciation for a $200,000 commitment the Mathe...