From massive dredging and beach renourishment in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown to renovations at the Gay Head Cliffs overlook, a number of public works improvement projects are under way around the Island this winter.

Dredging has begun at Herring Creek, the shallow run that connects Menemsha and Squibnocket Ponds, marking the final phase of a five-year project.

The geomorphic processes of the Vineyard’s littoral belt are among the most varied on Earth. Meaning the Edgartown dredge has a lot of work to do.

Tisbury has hired the Edgartown dredge crew for an emergency job in the Tashmoo channel. Using finely-tuned teamwork, the crew makes the sand flow.

Impassable for some boats at low tide, the channel at Lake Tashmoo could be dredged this summer. But first there is red tape to untangle.

The overall health of the Edgartown Great Pond has shown significant improvement over the past decade, according to a report released Tuesday from the nonprofit Great Pond Foundation.