City to Hear Presentation on Rappahannock River Dredging

During its Sept. 11 meeting, Fredericksburg's City Council will hear a presentation from Charles G. McDaniel about the dredging of the Rappahannock River.

According to a document attached to the council's Tuesday agenda, a group of Fredericksburg area citizens has formed a committee concerning the siltation problem in the river "from the Falmouth Bridge to the Blue Gray Parkway." 

"The committee recommends that the City take the lead and form a group interested in river dredging," the document says.

The document lists flood control, recreation and commerce, scenic beauty of the river, environmental and safety as reasons to dredge the river. 

"The Corps of Engineers should be a key player in the effort since they have the responsibility for the river, and their help in restoration is very important," the document says.

The committee's document suggests the city should take the lead in a dredging project with Friends of the Rappahannock and Stafford County. 

"This should be a cooperative effort and the dredging of the River would be done as a cost avoidance and commerical venture project," the document stated. 

Committee members include Bill Micks, Bruce Lee, McDaniel, Charles Payne, Claude Shaffer, John Tippett, Joe Wilson, Phillip Sasser, Rich McDaniel, Tom Wack, Harry Crisp and Togie Payne. 

River dredging and silting in the Rappahannock has been a topic of conversation amongst

Joe Wilson, chair of the Economic Development Authority said in that the city needed to study how Rappahannock River silt impacted flooding. 

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