Beach rock clearing to begin this month

Initial work on the Hernando Beach dredge project could begin by mid-September, Assistant County Engineer Gregg Sutton said Thursday.

That work will consist of clearing rocks from the beach channel.

The actual dredging is still about another month away, Sutton said. That allows time for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to review a seagrass mitigation plan.

Once construction of the dredge begins, it should be finished in five or six months, he said.

When completed, the channel will be 60 feet wide at the bottom and six feet deep at mean low tide. The channel will be straightened and extend out about three miles to Watts Tower, he said.

There are no plans to close the waterway during construction.