After years of delays, the Chilmark Pond Foundation is finally dredging Chilmark Lower Pond this month in an attempt to improve the pond's water quality.
The town of Oak Bluffs last week began dredging the Little Bridge channel after a permitting snafu left the project in limbo for months.
The purchase of an Edgartown dredge in the mid-1990s has proved to be a major money-saver for the town. This year, the Edgartown parks department estimated it saved around $18 million by using locally dredged sand to restore the dunes at South Beach.
The state Department of Environmental Protection Monday granted Edgartown emergency authorization to dredge Katama Bay, clearing the way for a project intended to help restore the storm-battered South Beach.
Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday that the town of Edgartown along with Barnstable County will receive a combined $1 million in grants to support coastal dredging efforts.
In an ongoing battle with nature, dredging has begun again in Edgartown Great Pond as its salinity levels have hit a critical low.