Boosted by the recent announcement of a state grant, a project to dredge the Tashmoo channel this fall appeared to be nearing reality this week.

Tisbury town leaders said they were finishing negotiations with Edgartown to use that town’s dredge and crew to complete the work.

Last week the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development announced a grant that would give the town up to $129,000 in matching funds for the dredging work, as part of its 2018 Navigational Dredging Pilot program.

“This is another example of the partnership between the state and the town of Tisbury,” harbor master John Crocker said.

Town administrator John (Jay) Grande said the speedy grant application specifically sought out shovel-ready projects.

“I’m very pleased,” he said. “I knew we met the criteria, and I knew we could get it in on time.”

Meanwhile, talks with Edgartown to arrange dredging the channel this fall are nearly complete, according to Edgartown dredge committee administrator Juliet Mulinare.

“[The agreement] has been reviewed by both town counsels, both town administrators, Tisbury’s harbor master and Edgartown’s dredge committee,” Ms. Mulinare said.

Under the proposed agreement, Edgartown will charge Tisbury a maximum of $193,000 for the dredging work, including $10,000 for each mobilization and demobilization for the dredge and $4,000 for a barge tow both to and from Tisbury.

Mr. Grande said his selectmen will discuss and possibly sign the agreement at an administrative meeting set for Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. If Tisbury signs on, the Edgartown selectmen will consider it at their meeting Sept. 10, Ms. Mulinare said. She said the Edgartown dredge crew hopes to complete the work before their regular dredging season in Edgartown begins, leaving a window between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 to complete the project. The exact number of days required to finish the job is still unknown.

“There’s a little bit of uncertainty as to how much sand there is,” Ms. Mulinare said.

The Tashmoo channel has not been fully dredged since 2014, and shoaling following last winter’s northeasters made the entrance to the lake as shallow as three and a half feet at low tide, an inconvenience that agitated summer boaters and town fishermen alike. The entrance to the lake should be seven feet deep at low tide, according to Mr. Crocker.

In an effort to remedy the problem as soon as possible, Tisbury approached Edgartown last spring to explore the possibility of using Edgartown’s dredge for a temporary midsummer fix, but the logistics of avoiding protected piping plover nests, getting the dredge into the water and finalizing a formal agreement between the two towns proved too complicated to make headway before summer’s end.

Mr. Crocker said he is also preparing to hire a consultant to help acquire the correct permits to dredge the town harbor in coming years.