Our Waterways

Dredging involves the removal of built-up material, usually sand or silt, in a waterway or body of water. In Virginia Beach, that’s usually a canal that feeds into a neighborhood, the main channels of the Lynnhaven River, the lakes or the Rudee Inlet. 

When an areas is dredged for flood mitigation purposes, it increases the capacity of a waterway or lake, allowing it to transport or store additional water. For the purpose of navigation, it’s done to restore the channel to a depth that allows the safe passage of boats.

Dredging is also done to keep navigable waterways safe for vessels to travel through them. The City, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, maintains the main channels of the Lynnhaven River and Rudee Inlet so they are passable for boats. For the Rudee Inlet, that means maintaining a minimum depth of 10 feet.

Crab Creek Navigation Channel Maintenance Dredging

Maintenance dredging of the Crab Creek Navigation channel will begin the week of Feb. 17, 2025. The maintenance dredging will include dredging of approximately 700 feet of the navigation channel and spot shoal dredging in front of the Crab Creek Wharf. 

Limits of the dredging are presented on the accompanying exhibit. Between 5,000 and 6,000 cubic yards of sandy material will be dredged from the navigation channel and wharf area. The contractor, Salmons Inc., will conduct the dredging effort via mechanical dredging means and methods. 

The dredged material will be placed at the Lynnhaven sand stockpile site adjacent to the project. The cost of the maintenance dredging is $288,000 and the work will be completed by March 1, 2025.

Any questions about the project may be directed to Ryan R. Firenze, through email at rfirenze@vbgov.com or by phone at 757-385-4511.

Neighborhood Dredging

In general, the City does not dredge a waterway unless there is a public interest to do so, such as flood control or to restore navigation. From a financial standpoint, it simply isn't It just isn’t financially feasible to dredge every single waterway that branches into a neighborhood. 

However, the City operates what’s called the Special Service District Program (SSD) that provides a way for communities to dredge an existing neighborhood waterway.

To participate in the program, which includes imposing special taxes dedicated to funding the dredging operation the City will manage, at least 80% of the residents in the service district must agree to participate. 

The SSD program does not establish a new channel or widen an existing one; rather, it removes the built-up sand and silt to deepen the existing waterway.